Naruto: Uchiha Chronicles
by RinneTaicho
Summary: Near the end of the First Shinobi World War the course of history changed when Madara Uchiha met a woman who pulled him from "The Curse of Hatred" once more. But the threat of the Eye of the Moon Plan isn't over. A new and mysterious figure lurks in the shadows. Now his grandson will set out to correct his mistakes. Sharingan/Jiton Naruto, Naruto x Fem-Sasuke x ?
1. Chapter 1

**Naruto: Uchiha Chronicles**

**AN/ Alright, I am finally back. Sorry it took so long, and sorry that I haven't finished the editing on Naruto: Soul Reaper Chronicles, I ran into an issue along the way, when I realized I needed a little bit of build in the relationship between Naruto and Fem-Ichigo before he beginning of the Ryoka Invasion, so I'm adding a chapter in between two and three to cover the time between when Fem-Ichigo gets her powers, and when Rukia gets taken, and it's going slow.**

**To be honest, I think both that and my Mokuton fic will be on hiatus pending a good deal of editing and possible rewrite for the mokuton fic. I know this will upset some people, but right now, including this one, I have a few fic idea's that are vaguely being pieced together right now, and I think will be much better structured and planned out than my first two fics, which I hope will make up for it.**

**Anywho, you don't want to hear about that, you want to hear about this story. This one has really caught my interest, and I have it better planned out than the previous two, I know exactly where it's going so I am hoping it will come out much better. **

**The premise of this story is that Madara is Naruto's grandfather, and abandoned the Eye of the Moon plan soon after beginning the preparations, having only just summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, and started making Zetsu when he did so. **

**The only other things I will say about it, is that the plan WAS picked up, but I won't say anything more, since that won't have any bearing until Part II, around the same time as Madara was revealed in Canon.**

**Further, I'll make one thing clear; I guarantee no use of information revealed about Madara's plan beyond the initial explanation. The reason is that when I had begun the planning of the story, Madara had barely just been resurrected for real, and it became obvious he was going to be the Juubi jinchūriki. **

**I don't read th e manga that much(even though I have the entire first part of the series in manga) because I was first introduced to the Naruto series through the English dubbed anime, and it remains my preferred method of enjoying the series(mostly because I can't stand Sakura's voice in the subbed version; yeesh, look no further for why some Sakura haters call her a howler monkey/banshee).**

**I only know of the events of Madara becoming the Juubi jinchūriki because of the research I did on the wiki about jinchūriki and the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode in particular, because I accidently discovered that when reading the article on it.**

**Sorry if you don't like that, but since at least the first half of this fic is going to be focused solely on Part I and maaayyyybe some of the time skip, it shouldn't have too much of an impact for some time. **

**That's all the information all give for now, besides the fact that the pairing is a double pairing Naruto x Fem-Sasuke and a mystery girl that won't be revealed until the end of Part 1. **

**Now, I have a poll up on my profile for a pairing for this fic, since I've already decided it, I will replace that poll with one for the pairing of my next fic. **

**The final thing I have before the chapter starts, I have a challenge. The first person to correctly guess the identity of the second girl before she is revealed, will be given the option of choosing a girl that will be either the pairing for one of my next fics, or might be a second pairing for one of my upcoming fics(if I already have a firm choice for that fic).**

**I will inform the winner(the first person to guess correctly), that they won via a PM, and simply announce an end to the contest. This way, I get to keep my evil suspense going as well as not giving away who the girl is by publically announcing the winner(because you could just go and see who they guessed and find out).**

**There are only three/ limitations I will put on the choices, and they are: 1) I won't do female Bijū, there are quite a few problems I have with this pairing, too many to get into. 2) I won't do Kushina or any other incest. This isn't my thing, I read the occasional fic with this pairing, but that is very few and far between, and only if it's good enough, but I don't have an interest in writing it myself. 3) They have to be shinobi. I don't really have an interest in having him be with civilians, as they would have no chance of protecting themselves from his enemies.**

**Besides that, any other girl is game, I'll even do gender bends(obviously I have no issue with these.).**

**The rules for guessing are simple, you get to guess one girl per chapter review, and if multiple are given, I will simply take the very first one as the guess. Obviously, with the fact I will be informing the winner that they won vie PM, you will need an account to win.**

**I hope people have fun with this.**

**Now, finally, the first chapter of Naruto: Uchiha Chronicles.**

**EDIT 2-15-15:**

**Alright, here's the first chapter that's been edited. The biggest difference is the fact I've cut out all of the multiple points of view, and tried to limit it to just the main person in that scene.**

Normal speech: "what"

Extremely loud group/single person shouting: "WHAT!"

Thoughts/Speech taken out of context:_ 'what'_

Letter/Book/Written text: '_What'_

Demon/Summon speech: **"what"**

Demon/Summon thoughts: **_'what'_**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or Bleach, that honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Tite Kubo respectively.

**Arc I: The Origin:**

**Chapter 1: Witness and Awaken, Magnet and Copy Wheel!**

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Konohagakure was considered one of the strongest of the Five Great Ninja Villages, once the strongest, until the Kyūbi attack.

Six years ago the great Bijū had suddenly appeared in the middle of the village, and quickly began to lay waste to the village. Despite the fact that the shinobi of the village—including the former Hokage—had fought fiercely to force it back, all hope had seemed lost until the Fourth Hokage had appeared, and transported the beast away. In the end, he gave his life to seal the mighty creature away in a small boy. Third Hokage had stepped forward then, to once more take the mantel of Hokage. Under his guidance, the village had begun recovering from the devastating episode.

For the Kyūbi had not left only physical scars on the village, but more invisible ones as well.

In the aftermath of the attack, the Uchiha Clan had fallen under the suspicions of the higher ranking members of the village, suspicions that they were involved in the sudden attack causing them to be ostracized from the rest of the Uchiha endured the mistrust directed at them; however, the leaders of the clan became increasingly angry and unsatisfied at what they viewed as a near century long discrimination against them. The final straw came when the Uchiha had been made to live in secluded corner of Konoha, separated from the rest of the village. And thus the road to true conflict began

The ostracized clan began plotting to take the power they thought so rightfully belonged to them.

The plot progressed further and further, and the Hokage and elders of the village soon became aware of it. In an attempt to ease the tensions, the Third began to try negotiating with the clan, without revealing his knowledge of the plot. The attempts were in vane, as they rebuffed every attempt.

That brings us to the beginning of the story, as the tensions begin to approach their apex, and a man was attempting to stop the plot of his clan, only to be intercepted by other forces at work in the village.

At the same time, a certain blond haired boy was on his way to train for the academy. This boy didn't know that he had the blood of one of Konoha's founding clans flowing through his veins. He also didn't know that that blood would save his life on this day.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

It was just past midday in Konoha, and the sun shone brightly. A pleasant, cool breeze swept through the village. All around, the village was interspersed with lush greenery. The streets bustled with happy inhabitants, unaware of the tension building between the village and one of its most prominent clans. In the area near the training grounds for shinobi, Naruto Uzumaki,the jinchūriki of the Kyūbi—though he didn't know that—was walking towards his favorite training ground, which was situated along the Naka river.

The emerald colored vegetation was just beginning to show the slightest encroachment of yellow, red, and brown in its vibrant color, showing the gradual change from Summer to Autumn. The breeze produced a constant rustling sound around the boy. Though he couldn't see it yet, he could hear the quiet rush of water from the Naka river beyond the trees.

The sun shone down through the treetops onto his golden blond hair. Despite how distinctive his hair was, perhaps the most unique thing about him was the three whisker marks on each of his cheeks. His clothes were sturdy, the black shirt and tan shorts being perfect for shinobi training.

If people who knew him had seen the boy, they would have been surprised by the sad contemplation in his electric blue eyes. Naruto had just begun the academy, and he was on his way to practice his skills, after another disappointing day of his instructors being rather reticent about helping him, simply telling him how to do something, and then going to help others, leaving him to figure out anything he didn't understand.

The boy couldn't help but wonder why everyone treated him like that, like they didn't want him around. It had been that way since his memory began just a few short years ago. The small blonds expression became downtrodden. He thought of the way people treated him, and how it was made worse by the fact he was an orphan. He had no idea who his parents were, or if they were dead or abandoned him. Did they too dislike him like so many others did? Had they abandoned him because they couldn't stand him? He wanted a family more than anything, someone to care about him like all the other kids seemed to have. Every time someone had come to adopt a kid at the orphanage, he had always felt hope they would pick him. But they didn't. People would just give him a cold look like everyone else, and then pick another child. Finally, it got to a point where he had begged the 'old man' to let him live in his own apartment, so he didn't have to deal with the constant disappointment.

He cheered up slightly, thinking of the elderly Hokage. The Third was one of the few people he knew that was kind to him; him and the Ichiraku's from his favorite restaurant.

They were the things that made life bearable for him, especially the Third, who he called 'Gramps'. And he really was like a grandfather to him, always helping him out and making sure he was doing ok, sharing his wisdom with him and telling him cool stories about his experience as a ninja.

Despite this bond, he wanted to find out who his parents were one day, so he at least knew where he came from. Even if it turned out they hadn't loved him. Until then, he would just train to be the most badass ninja he could.

More specifically, he wanted to be Hokage, like his 'Gramps', and his idol the Fourth. He wanted to be as cool and powerful as them, maybe then the villagers would start to acknowledge him, instead of ignoring him.

With significantly more positive thoughts, the blond turned his mind back to what the task at hand; going to train. It was with a start that he realized, during his inner musing, he had just about reached the edge of the clearing he was heading for.

He had just reached the bushes, when he heard two strange noises.

The first was rather simple to discern, and not too strange considering where he was. The—_clang—_of metal on metal was something that could almost always be found in a training ground. It was the second sound, a strange—_hiss—_that got his attention. It was very loud, easily reaching him.

The curious boy walked to the edge of the vegetation, to look through the bushes at the cause of the noise. His curiosity quickly became shock when he beheld the scene in the clearing. On the river bank before him, he saw a completely unexpected sight. There were seven people locked in mortal combat. And it wasn't the kind that you engaged in for training. There were far too many killing blows being attempted. That wasn't even mentioning the one combatant that looked to be badly injured.

Six of the seven appeared to be Anbu, but something was off. They wore the typical Anbu mask and cloak, but underneath that the uniforms seemed to vary greatly, and not one seemed to wear the actual Anbu vest and shoulder-length gloves or grey arm guards. What's more, they were attacking the seventh man, throwing ninja tools as well as the occasional water jutsu at him, waves and bullets launching at him, attempting to slam into him.

In response, the man would launch back large gouts of fire, so hot Naruto could feel a slight heat from where he stood in the bushes, turning the attacks into steam, the source of the constant—_hiss—_he had heard.

The seventh man—the one launching fire—was the most interesting. He wore typical attire from the Uchiha Clan that he often saw around the village, with a dark high-collar shirt and dark ninja pants, as well as what seemed to be a holster for his tanto, which he used to fend off the weapons, while seemingly appearing and disappearing to dodge the jutsu and move faster.

The man had unruly black hair, and a broad nose. The most interesting thing was his right eye, which was crimson, with a black shuriken in the center. His left eye, however, was closed. Naruto could see crimson trail of blood streaked down his face from that eye.

It was clear that the six men were trying to kill the fire breathing man. He already had several small cuts that looked to be caused by the tanto the supposed Anbu carried, and even a rather serious laceration on his right side, that looked very wide and deep. Almost as if whatever had cut him had glided through him like a knife through butter, skin, muscle, bone, everything.

Naruto began to feel a pit of fear grow in his stomach like a lead weight. One thing he knew from his conversations with his surrogate grandfather, the Third, was that his Anbu ALWAYS wore the standard uniform unless on infiltration missions, where they dressed as regular civilians. If these six men were dressed as neither, it meant they were not the Hokage's Anbu, or possibly not Anbu at all. One thing was clear, they were attacking a Konoha shinobi, and if they were willing to do that, they would have no issue 'silencing' him.

He wasn't stupid. If they went to the trouble if hiding their faces, they didn't want their activities known. They would kill him to stop him from telling anyone.

Reality struck him in the face like a war hammer. He needed to get out of there, _now_. So great was his shock and fear, he didn't pay close enough attention to his surroundings. He began to retreat, without taking his eyes off the clearing.

Something he would regret.

Naruto took a step back, instantly freezing when a deafening—_CRACK—_rent the air like a gunshot. He looked in terror at the broken branch beneath his foot. The young boy shivered in fear; he didn't want to look up. He could feel the eyes in the clearing turning to him. Against his better judgment, he did, and instantly regretted it. He witnessed the gazes of the false Anbu turning to him in a creepy sort of synchronization.

The blond felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. A wave of fear enveloped him. His veins were flooded with adrenaline and he broke out in a cold sweat. At that moment, the small boy did the only thing he could think of; he turned and ran, ran away from the creepy masked men as fast as he could.

"Eliminate him, there are to be no witnesses." The monotone voice in the sent a shiver up Naruto's spine. There was zero emotion in the man's voice.

Without needing any prompts, the three figures—one wearing a dog mask with four eyes, one a demon mask, and the other a regular cat mask—took off in the direction of the panicked academy student, intent on eliminating him.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Naruto dashed madly through the forest, not really paying attention to where he was going. He tore through the bushes in a frenzy, his heart threatening to burst from his chest as from irs extremely high rate from the combination of fear and exercise.

The greenery passed by in a blur. All he wanted to do was put as much distance as possible between himself and the masked men. His heart was pounding so hard the beats reverberated throughout his entire chest, and the blood rushed through his veins so fast he could actually hear it pounding in his ears. That was why he barely heard the rustle of leaves behind him. Still, he heard it, and looked back to find out what it was. He almost wished he hadn't. Three of the fake Anbu were chasing after him easily dashing through the thick vegetation around the training ground.

The most scary part was the methodical pace they kept, never really trying to close the distance between them and himself. Their masks didn't help any either. While the cat-masked one on the left was normal enough, the one in the middle—the four eyed dog—and the one on the right—a demon with tusks jutting from its lower lip—were very abnormal. They were like twisted versions of the regular Anbu masks.

The supposed Anbu never stepped up the pace, seemingly content to keep following him, something that surprised the blond.

_Why aren't they trying to catch me? Aren't they worried I'll get away?_ It made him increasingly worried. They didn't seem like the types to make a bunch of mistakes, so that meant there was some reason they weren't worried about his escape. He had just reached that last conclusion, when the blond shot out of the bushes, and came to a skidding stop, and his stomach seemed to suddenly drop. The little jinchuriki had discovered why they hadn't bothered to pick up the pace. They obviously knew the terrain better. He was currently standing on a rocky bank next to the Naka river. Water thundered over the cliff side to churn the waters of the river bellow into a white foam.

He stared in shock and despair at the cliff before him. Beside him the river flowed by, and a roar filled the air, along with a fine mist created by the thousands of gallons of falling water.

With a sinking heart, Naruto turned around, backing up to the edge of the light grey rocky bank, right up until he felt a the light mist on his calves from the river flowing rapidly by. He saw the three masked men methodically walking towards him. In that moment, he was certain they were there to kill him. He just _knew_ they didn't have good intentions towards him, and it terrified him, because he knew he couldn't take a single one of them.

The Anbu-look-alikes seemed to pause in their approach, simply standing their looking at him, the unmoving faces of their masks being very creepy to the seven-year-old boy

Finally, the lead man—the one with the dog mask—spoke. In the relative silence that filled the air, save the sounds occasional of bird calls, and the sound of the waterfall, the man whispered his orders to the two flanking him.

"Seek to incapacitate him by any means. The boy only has to live long enough for us to get him to Lord Danzō to extract the beast. It matters not what happens after that."Naruto tensed. He couldn't make out what was said, the constant roaring of the waterfall filled his ears, blocking out nearly all other sound.

Soon as the order was given, the trio began to approach once more, increasing the anxiousness and worries of the blond.

Naruto could tell—he had this feeling in his gut that he couldn't shake—he simply _knew _they were going to kill him. The boy gulped audibly, before trying to reason with them, to get them to spare him. Even if it was futile.

"P-p-please, don't kill me! I w-won't t-tell anyone what I saw!" Naruto stuttered in fear, not wanting to die. There were so many things he wanted to do. Get the acknowledgement of the people of Konoha, become Hokage . . . find out who his family was.

For a moment, the three paused, and he felt a slight hope that maybe they would spare him. That hope was dashed the next moment, when the lead man spoke.

"That is not possible. Lord Danzō's orders were clear, there are to be no witnesses to our involvement. Do not struggle, and it will be over quick." The dog-masked one said in a monotone voice.

As soon as the man finished his sentence, Naruto's heart sank and he felt as if his stomach had dropped past his knees. His throat constricted, he couldn't breathe, or speak; he could only watch them draw the tip-less tanto they seemed to have in common. In his chest, his heart began beating wildly. Adrenaline flooded his veins, causing his arms to go tingly numb.

The dog masked man shot forward at tremendous speeds—to Naruto at least—, beginning to raise his tanto to strike Naruto. The man got closer and closer, and Naruto's perception of the world seemed t.o slow down to a crawl as his eyes widened in unadulterated fear. All the surrounding sounds faded away into a vacuum of silence, where only his heartbeat could be heard, thumping loudly in his chest.

_Bum Bum_

The man raised his tanto extremely slowly.

_Bum Bum _

The man reached Naruto, began bringing his tanto down.

_Bum Bum_

Naruto felt his eyes involuntarily close. The tanto began to descend upon him.

_Bum Bum_

Just when the tanto was about to reach his neck, Naruto's eyes snapped open, glaring at his attacker with eyes that were startlingly different from their previous sparkling blue. Instead, bloody red orbs glared menacingly at the masked man, with a single black tomoe mark spinning around each pupil.

At the exact same moment, the tanto suddenly halted in midair, as if being held by an invisible hand. Try as he might, he couldn't move it to strike the blond. The seconds went by, and a slight rustling began in the man's equipment pouches. All the while he looked into the red eyes of the blond.

"Sharingan?" He muttered questioningly to himself. Naruto didn't hear it in his trance. Not knowing of the occurrence, and simply seeing their partners blade stopped, the other two moved to strike him as well. As soon as their blades came within an inch of the blond, they too stopped suddenly. When they did, the dog-masked one felt the tug in his pouches become even more pronounced, and his fellow felt it begin for them.

All at once, the sound of tearing cloth rent the air, echoing throughout the clearing. From the equipment pouches of the three masked men dozens of black blurs shot forth, all towards the three tanto's of the men, leaving cuts in their clothes and on their skin as they took the most direct route to the tip-less steel blades, leaving small trickles of crimson liquid leaking down their skin. The black blurs met the unique tanto's in a tremendous—_CHING CLANG—_of metal on metal, echoing loudly across the water and even down to the area at the bottom of the waterfall.

When the momentum of the blurs was stopped by the tanto's, it was revealed that the blurs were in fact every single kunai and shuriken on them, with each man having at least a couple dozen of each clinging to their tanto's and each other, making them look like spiky clubs of black metal.

Despite the unexpected result, there was no reaction of shock or surprise from the false Anbu. "The metal has become magnetized. That is why the blades stopped moving, an similar pull as the tanto, while the shuriken have the opposite pull." Said the demon masked one.

"Indeed, perhaps Magnet Release. Lord Danzō will surely be interested in this child, with both the Sharingan and Magnet Style." The cat masked one added, receiving a nod from the others.

"It seems that non-lethal force will be required." The apparent leader commented. "Just as well, metal weapons will be useless against the boy."He concluded.

While the three were discerning what had happened, Naruto had entered a trance-like state. His eyes glassed over, and his face went completely blank. Just when the masked individuals finished their deductions, Naruto's right arm rose from his side in a manner eerily similar to that of a zombie, but without the groaning and decomposing flesh.

The last thing the three Anbu-look-alikes saw was him clenching his hand, before all they could see was black and silver slivers. The slivers attacked ferociously, leaving hundreds if not thousands of paper thin cuts on the men. It was so painful, it even made the emotionally void Root members—who had been trained to have a pain tolerance even greater than the already impressive level of most ninja—let loose screams of agony.

Blood sprayed through the air from numerous cuts across their bodies, the heavy scent of iron filling the air as the crimson life-giving liquid splashed on the ground and all over Naruto's front.

Their clothes were reduced to tatters, the men looked more like lumps of raw meat than humans. It was when the first warm spray of liquid hit his face, that Naruto came out of his trance. He looked in shock as he was showered in the blood of the three men who were now unrecognizable.

For a moment, he was frozen in shock. He watched the bodies fall, and felt himself covered in the thick, warm crimson blood.

Finally, the adrenaline began to leave, and his heart slowed down. He felt fatigue weighing him down, his limbs feeling like led, and his eyelids drooping. Even in the exhausted fog, he managed to whisper a shocked question; "D-d-did I do that Did _I _kill them?"

His eye lids began to feel like led, and started to close. The crimson hue that had taken them over receded, and his normal electric blue color returned for a moment. Then his eyes closed. His body gave way to the fatigue. Slowly, he began to tip backwards, splashing down into the swift current just as he lost consciousness. The young boy didn't even register the freezing shock of the cold water embracing him.

Upon hitting the water, his body sunk; slightly at first, but then bubbles erupting around it and water was thrown into the air, sparkling in the sunlight. He submerged for a moment, and then his body gently floated to the surface. With a low—_bloomp—_ the boy surfaced, and ripples spread outwards from where he had landed. His wet hair was now sticking to his forehead, and his soaking clothes slightly weighed him down, barely keeping his face above the water.

Soon though, his body began to be pulled towards the edge of the waterfall like a bug stuck in the water as a bathtub drains.

At first his clothes slowed him down slightly, but as he got closer and closer to the edge, his speed and momentum increased, drawing him faster and faster towards his certain demise by being dashed upon the rocks at the bottom of the large waterfall. His clothes doing less and less to slow him. Finally he was pitched over the side of the fall at high speeds, spiraling down through the air end over end. His soaking clothes and wet hair were pulled back tight to his body, flapping loudly behind him from the force of his fall. He was getting closer and closer to being splattered upon the rocks and water below, nothing but a stain on the surface.

It began to look hopeless as he approached midway down. He would be dashed upon the surface below, never awakening; never reaching his dreams or goals. Nobody would ever know what became of him.

It was then, as he reached midway, that a black and white blur seemed to flash across the waterfall, snatching him from midair, and carrying him to a tree branch on the side of the cliff.

Once it had stopped, the blur was revealed to be an extremely old man holding Naruto gently in his arms. He was definitely very old, older even than the Third, and emaciated. His pale, wrinkly skin stretched over a body that was undoubtedly once toned and athletic, still possessing wiry muscle even as it had aged. His hair was very long, thin, and spiky, reaching his waist with a bang covering his right eye. He wore a simple black robe and simple straw sandals with waraji.

Onyx eyes gazed down at the blond intensely for a moment. The man examined him, as if searching for something in his features. He seemed to find it, and his eyes softened, a warm look entering the black pools.

The man then whispered to the unconscious blond.

"So I was correct. It is you . . . my grandson. It would seem you have inherited my unfortunate habit of getting into complicated situations." The old man whispered to himself and the blond, before he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Behind the curtain of white that was the waterfall along the Naka River, the mist from the cascading current was flung into the air. A constant roar filled the air in front of the rocky entrance. The waters from the upper portion of the river thundered down into the lower portion of the river, the waters at the entrance were churned into a constant white foam that floated downwards, and slowly dissipated in the crystal blue current.

Beyond that majestic curtain, lay the entrance to a cave. And beyond that lay a long tunnel, that led back underneath the river. Even further beyond this, the tunnel led into a fairly large rocky cavern, lit by torches along the walls that gave the otherwise dark place a soft light.

On one side, there was another waterfall, considerably smaller than the one outside, that fed into a large, clear, cool pool of water, with a traditional wooden bridge arching over it. Along the floor, interspersed here and there, were stalagmites pointing proud and tall into the air. Perhaps the most prominent land mark was the Japanese style wooden house at the back of the cave. The front doors were a sliding style of door, and inside those doors, in the front room of the house, the caves only occupant sat in a meditative pose, extending his senses around him.

The occupant was a very old man, almost emaciated in appearance, with many wrinkles. His hair was slightly thin, long, and spiky, with one bang covering his right eye, and he wore a simple black robe. His name was Madara Uchiha, the former head of the Uchiha Clan, and considered by many to be one of the worst traitors in Konoha's entire history. He was doing an exercise to maintain his sensing abilities, extending them around him to try and sense any signatures near him, or even far away. It was one of the few things he could do to keep his chakra skills sharp.

It was as he was doing this, that he sensed something peculiar. Seven signatures doing battle along the Naka River. Six of them chased after the seventh, throwing jutsu at the person. All of the individuals had at least Anbu level reserves if he was sensing right, and one seemed to be an Uchiha, as he could sense the special chakra of the sharingan being used. That was the one that was being attacked. _Curious_

But that wasn't all. Very near to them, and getting closer, seemed to be a signature slightly larger than those. After a moment the eighth signature suddenly began moving fastly in his direction, and three of the other signatures chasing the seventh broke off and began chasing the eighth.

While they ran, the persons chakra seemed to be fluctuating, as if something was happening to them. _Hmm . . . could it be a bloodline stirring? Curious . . ._. The chase lasted for a few minutes, until the eighth person was backed up against the river almost directly above him.

It was as this happened, that whatever bloodline that had begun stirring finally awakened in the eighth person, and Madara's eyes opened in shock. There wasn't one bloodline awakening, but _two_. And he recognized them both.

Cold fingers seemed to be trailing down his spine, and a pit of worry formed in his stomach, as he recognized not only the chakra distinctive of the Sharingan, but another bloodline that was all too familiar. One he hadn't felt in years. Only one word passed through his mind, as his features hardened.

_'Naruto . . '_ He thought, before he vanished in a blur of motion.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

_Drip . . ._

_Drip . . ._

_Drip . . . _

Naruto's eyes scrunched up at the noise that invaded his ears, of water dripping down onto another watery surface.

He felt tired, he didn't want to get up.

_Drip . . ._

_Drip . . . _

The noise continued, and his mind began to become more awake. The events that led to his unconsciousness came rushing back to him in rapid succession. His eyes snapped wide open in shock and fear, and he sat up abruptly, looking wildly around himself.

The blond couldn't help but be confused by his surroundings.

He lay in the middle of a corridor that looked like the basement of an industrial plant, with metal pipes running along the walls and ceiling. The floor was flooded with a pool of water maybe a couple inches deep, but strangely enough he didn't feel his clothes were wet, or any dampness on his skin.

The entire place seemed to be illuminated by a low golden light, leaving plenty of shadows dancing around him, and causing it to have an ethereal air to it.

Slowly he began to get up on his feet, taking in more of the strange place, trying to get a clue as to where he was. The first thing he noticed was the fact that the air strangely enough wasn't stale like you would expect for the underground. From what he could tell, the corridor carried on for quite a ways, extending into the shadows.

With nothing else to do, the boy began to walk down the hall way, hoping to find a way out this strange place.

The blond soon came to the end of the corridor, coming to a crossroads from another corridor. It was here that he came across his first significant finding in this strange place, as he saw a bright light sparkling in the distance.

That's when he began to hear it, the faint whisper, of a rumbling, deep, gravelly voice. It emanated from the faint light at the end of the corridor.

**"Come . . . ." **The voice beckoned.

Naruto was immediately on guard. The voice filled him with dread, a cold pit forming in his stomach. It sounded primal and ancient.

"Wh-who's there? Where am I?" Naruto called into the darkness of the corridor.

**"Come to me . . . ." **The voice called once more.

Reluctantly, Naruto found himself continuing to walk down the corridor towards where the voice came from. Whatever it was knew he was here, so there was no point trying to hide or run. He became aware of a new noise entering his range of hearing. At first, he mistook it for the sound of wind passing through the corridor.

_Whoo whoosh_

_Whoo whoosh_

_Whoo whoosh_

On the sound went. Finally, he recognized it for what it was when he got far enough along the corridor. It was the sound of a giant pair of lungs pumping air in and out. A shiver of fear ran down his spine.

How large did a creature have to be to produce such a noise simply by breathing? He wasn't sure he wanted to find out. Still, the blond continued to walk through the corridor, noting that for some reason, his vision seemed much better than it usually was. He could see almost every detail of the corridor, even in the dark. Had he been able to see himself, he would have seen that his eyes glowed a bloody red in the darkness, one tomoe adjacent to the pupil in each eye.

He began to see a glow at the end of the corridor. Whatever lay beyond was significantly brighter than the corridor. It took him but moments to reach the end of the tunnel, and he was blinded briefly by the bright light, white spots blurring his vision and obscuring the room for a moment.

Blinking furiously, the white spots began to disappear slowly from his vision, allowing him to view the room he was in. He was in a rather large room, with pipes all along the walls, and if he guessed right, most likely the ceiling, which couldn't be seen because it was so high up shadows obscured it.

The object that held the blonds attention the most though, was the giant golden gates that stood imposingly from floor to ceiling directly across from him, with a border around them with golden spiral designs. There appeared to be a large piece of paper, almost as big as his body, holding it shut, with the kanji for 'seal' on it.

Even with his strangely enhanced vision, he couldn't see what was inside. It was simply a sea of darkness, like no light could exist within it. The most disconcerting part was that he could tell the deep breaths were coming from within that vast darkness

He felt a wave of malice and hatred crash down upon him when he began to cross the room. The wave forced him to his knees, with his eyes bulging wide in fear. He couldn't stand, he couldn't talk, he could barely even breath. It was ten times worse than when he had felt the terror when he was about to be killed by the three masked men. The blond felt himself breaking out in a cold sweat. The pressure increased to the point he couldn't even draw breath.

He soon found himself struggling to stay conscious, black spots beginning to invade his vision. Finally, mercifully, the pressure lifted from him. A deep rumbling chuckle filled the room.

Naruto collapsed forward onto his hands and knees, panting with eyes still wide in shock and fear. Suddenly, that same voice from before boomed out to him.

**"Hehehehe so . . . . my ****_warden_**** has finally come before me." **The voice called out.

A visibly shaken Naruto got to his feet slowly. He looked directly into the darkness. Right now he stood just a short distance away from the cage. All he wanted to do was turn and flee in terror. The boy shook his head. He attempted to reign in his fear, managing to shift his facial features from being terrified with wide eyes, to simply one of wariness.

"Wh-who are you?" He asked cautiously.

In response, he received another deep chuckle, before something terrifying happened. In the dark abyss inside the cage, two enormous crimson eye with slit pupils shot open, with a huge gleaming white grin soon following, the large pointed teeth as big as Naruto himself.

Naruto took a step back in fear, at the bloodthirsty grin and the almost manic glaring eyes, just as an reddish-orange paw that resembled a human-like hand shot forward towards him, gleaming white claws looking to impale him.

The boy saw it coming in slow motion, and threw himself backwards, landing on his rear in the pool of water on the floor. Still, the claws continued to come towards him, and were just about to impale him when—

_CLANG!_

With a resounding crash, the paw was stopped as it crashed against the bars of the cage, stopping one of the claws just inches from Naruto's face. If the blond hadn't thrown himself backwards, he would have been impaled on the claw.

Looking up at the owner of the paw with eyes wide in shock, Naruto gulped in fear, as he saw a vision of terror.

The shadows in the cage crawled backwards to reveal a beast of nightmares. Standing there looking at him with a menacing grin and one paw attempting to impale him, was a giant reddish-orange fox with a human-like torso and rabbit like ears, with black marks extending from its eyes into the inside of its ears. Behind it waved nine giant tails that seemed to have a mind of their own.

He was standing in front of the Kyūbi no Yōko. The greatest calamity to ever befall Konoha.

**"Of course, it's just my luck that you too have an ability that will help you control me. To think, you are from that accursed clan." **The fox growled.

For his part, Naruto was frozen in shock and fear, it felt like someone had poured ice water into his veins. It took several moments, for him to register what the fox said, and formulate a reply.

"Y-you're the Kyūbi! Where are we, and what's this about control, and a clan?" Naruto asked, shaky at first, but stronger and more confused at the end.

In response, the Kyūbi removed it's claw from the cage door, laying down and growling at the boy.

**"Don't play dumb with me boy, you are undoubtedly a member of those accursed Uchiha . . . . with that repugnant Sharingan!" **Kyūbi bellowed.

The blond was frozen in shock. He tried to process the Kyūbi's words, but they were just too absurd. Still in denial, he looked down into the pool of water at his feet, only to see his reflection staring back at him, his eyes a glowing bloody crimson, with a single black tomoe spinning around the pupil in each eye.

"The Sharingan, but how?" Naruto whispered to himself in complete shock.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Madara Uchiha had lived a very long life. He had lived longer than even the Third Hokage or Third Tsuchikage had.

Over that time, he had seen and done many things, many of which he was not proud of. Twice, he had fallen into the "Curse of Hatred" that plagued his clan, twice he had turned his back on his best friend, a man who believed in him when nobody else did, and thrown their friendship away.

And Twice he had been pulled from that hatred, once by his friend, and once by the woman he loved.

He had fought in endless battles; founded—alongside Hashirama—the first ever Hidden Village, where ninja clans that previously would have been at war could live together in peace; turned his back on that village to pursue a mad plan to bring a world where no one had to be a 'loser'.

Looking upon the sleeping face of his Grandson—reminding him so much of his son—he felt the weight of his years pressing on him more than ever.

They were currently in a rather simple room with wood paneling on the walls, ceiling, and floor. A simple bed with a wooden frame stood in the corner, and a chandelier filled with candles hung from the ceiling, bathing the room in a warm yellow light.

Naruto was tucked under the covers, still unconscious from his ordeal and—Madara suspected—interacting with the Kyūbi. In the ancient Uchiha's opinion, that was a good thing, because the sooner he got to know the fox, the sooner he could learn to use its power.

Looking at his grandson, Madara felt the warm content feeling of love suffusing his being; a feeling he hadn't felt since he had lived happily with his wife and son, before she died and his son went missing.

His grandson was now the only family he had, and because of his foolish hatred, he was in danger, and it was up to the elderly Uchiha to prepare him to face it when it came.

But right now, there were things he needed to do.

With a weary sigh, the Uchiha turned and began to walk out of the room.

_I had best dispose of what's left of the bodies, before anyone finds them. _

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

The blond 'Uzumaki' stared into the water below him, and more specifically at the pair of bloody vermilion eyes staring back at him.

His eyes were wide in astonishment, and he could feel his body shaking. Such was the shock of seeing the famous dojutsu of the Uchiha Clan in his eyes. Naruto had seen Uchiha clan members around the village, he'd even seen the Sharingan before. But he had never expected to see it in his own eyes.

How was it possible? He had thought he was just an orphan, some kid that everyone seemed to hate for a reason he couldn't grasp.

"H-how's this possible? I'm no Uchiha!" Naruto asked/stated to himself in shock, something the Kyūbi heard.

The beast couldn't withhold a snort of derision, the noise echoing off the walls.

**"Obviously you are, little boy. There's no doubt that is the Sharingan." **The Kyūbi growled, causing Naruto to look up at it more. It snarled in fury when Naruto met its eyes. **"Turn those infernal things off, before I find a way to rip them from your skull, and make jam from them, to spread on crackers." **The fox snarled in annoyance, it's tails whipping about in agitation.

Naruto gulped in fear.

"H-how do I do that?" He asked nervously, not wanting to upset it.

Lucky for him, the fox simply gave a derisive growl, before answering.

**"You certainly don't act like most of your clan. To turn those stupid things off, you need to stop the chakra flowing in your eyes whelp." **It replied in a huff.

Still slightly confused, Naruto struggled to control his chakra, willing the chakra in his eyes to halt. He found it difficult. Out of all of the students in his class, he was the worst at chakra control. It was with much relief, that he looked down into the water, to see his normal blue eyes looking back at him.

Shakily, he looked back up at the Kyūbi, still having questions for the ancient entity. Like where the heck they were, and what the beast was doing there. For a few minutes, everything was silent, until he finally worked up the nerve to speak to the being once more, choosing his words carefully so as not to upset it.

"I don't wanna be disrespectful, but where are we? And what did you mean when you called me your warden? More importantly, how're you here, all the stories say the Fourth killed you!" Naruto asked cautiously.

As soon as the last sentence left his mouth, Naruto knew he touched a nerve. Instantly the fox once more tried to impale him, slamming its hand-like paw into the bars again. It snarled in fury, trying in vain to get to the blond.

**"KILL ME? THE GREAT KYŪBI NO YŌKO KILLED BY A LOWLY HUMAN?" **Kyūbi roared in fury, causing the boy to cower slightly from the sheer might of its rage.

Even though the Fourth was his hero, he daren't try to talk back to the chakra being. After a moment, the fox seemed to regain its composure, but with the malicious snarl still in place. When next it spoke, it was much calmer, with a touch of arrogance.

**"Please, that whelp barely managed to seal me away with the help of that pathetic woman. The mere notion of him being able kill me is laughable." **The fox told him.

As opposed to the previous statements, this one drew curiosity from the blond. What'd it mean a woman? All the stories he heard said the Fourth beat the Kyūbi alone. And what was this business about sealing? He didn't know much about sealing—only what the Third had told him—, but if the Kyūbi was sealed in something, there was no way he should be able to be face-to-face with it.

"If you're sealed away, how can I be talking to you, how'd I get in a seal?" He asked. To his surprise, the chakra entity seemed to find this amusing. It's dark chuckles filled the boiler room, as it replied with a malicious smirk.

**"Foolish little boy. I called you my warden, are you too stupid to realize what those two things mean?" ** The fox taunted. **"The reason you are my warden, and the reason you can be—the very reason you are shunned by the people of your village—is because your beloved Fourth sealed me inside of you!" **Said Kyūbi with a twisted grin. It seemed that the fox took a twisted glee in it's containers pain.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock, as the booming echoes of the Kyūbi's hate-filled mirth reverberated through the room and through his body. It made horrifying sense. The reason everyone ignored him or glared at him. Why when he would describe people that were particularly mean to him to his grandfather figure, they would disappear. All because he had the Kyūbi sealed in him the day he was born; by his hero no less.

It took him several minutes to recover his faculties. He struggled to come to terms with all the life altering occurrence's he had recently experienced. He had the learned he had the Sharingan, made his first kill, and learned he was the jailer to a massive chakra monster, all in one day. It was surprising he wasn't exhausted, but since it was his mind, it was slightly understandable. Naruto gazed at the reflection of himself in the water; he became curious. Once more he allowed chakra into his eyes. It was fascinating to see the normally electric blue eyes bleed into crimson red, the black tomoe spinning slowly.

Before he could get too into looking at his new eyes, he found himself interrupted by a deep growl from the occupant of the cage.

**"Why are you playing with those boy, I told you to keep them off." **It growled in annoyance.

Instead of being cowed as he was earlier, the blond decided to keep them on, something that seemed to annoy the fox as the boy decided to look at him with them.

"I have them now, so I might as well get used to them. Gramps says there's nothing more foolish than wielding a weapon you don't know how to use." He replied. Naruto was beginning to get curious as to why the fox seemed to loath the eyes. "Why do you hate the Sharingan so much?" Naruto asked in a respectful tone, trying to not upset the entity. It was locked in a cage, but Naruto didn't want to press his luck and make the Kyūbi angry.

At first it seemed like the fox would refuse to answer, as the silence stretched for near a minute. Finally, it was broken with an resigned huff from the monster.

**"Those filthy monkey eyes have been used to control me twice by members of your damned clan." **It answered.

This was something Naruto found interesting. It explained what it had meant when it had said he had an ability with the potential to control it. He was going to question it further, but t seemed the fox was now feeling talkative, continuing without the need of prodding.

**"It makes my blood boil seeing you looking at me with them. They remind me of ****_that_**** man." **The fox growled, it narrowed its eyes, focusing harder on the blond. **"In fact . . . if you had black hair, you would be the spitting image of him if he was a boy . . . " **It said with a menacing snarl.

Naruto didn't know what to make of that. He reminded the Kyūbi of one of the men that had controlled it? But who could that be?

"Who d–" He began, halting as he began feeling a strange sensation. It felt like he was being pulled, pulled from his spot, yet not in any direction. His form began fading. Naruto looked around himself in worry. "What's happening?" He asked in a panicked tone.

Seeing the panic, the fox snorted in amusement, resting its head in its palm in a bored fashion.

**"Oh settle down foolish boy. Your body is simply awakening from its forced nap, after you butchered those three men. I must say, it was a most impressive display for one so small." **The fox chuckled, seeming to find amusement in the way the three men had died.

Naruto froze as he was reminded of his recent kills, slowly fading from the seal with a shocked look.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

"Ugh—" Naruto groaned loudly, from his prone position in the bed. Wait . . . bed? Last thing he knew, he was falling into a river. With a jolt, his eyes snapped wide, and he sat up from his position, throwing the covers off the upper part of his body as he did so.

Many questions filled his mind. How did he get here? Where was here?

His head turned from side to side, as if it was on a swivel. Eyes blazing with the Sharingan, he caught every detail of the room around him. The searching stopped when his gaze landed on a very old man sitting next to the bed he laid in, looking at him with amusement.

"It would seem you took quite the fall my boy. If I hadn't arrived in time, you would undoubtedly be dead." The man said, a glint of something Naruto couldn't quite place flashing through his eyes.

Before Naruto could even think to reply, he winced as he suddenly heard the voice of the Kyūbi roaring loudly inside his head.

**_'MADARA, LET ME OUT SO I CAN KILL HIM!' _**

The outburst caused a headache for Naruto. He could practically see the Kyūbi slamming itself against its cage, trying to get out to get this man it apparently knew. Surprisingly, it seemed the man seemed to be aware of this.

"Ah, I suppose the Kyūbi is giving you trouble. Understandable, considering our history." That was it, who the hell was this Madara guy? The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. He was almost certain that his Gramps had mentioned it in one of his stories.

"Who the hell are you? Why does the Kyūbi wanna get you so bad? How do you even know about it? And where the heck are we?" Naruto asked in slightly irritated tone.

It seemed like the entire day he had been out of the know. First, he planned on going to train, only to have people try to kill him. Then he had fallen into a river, and gone unconscious, meeting the Kyūbi and learning he was not only the apparent jinchūriki of said beast, but that he possessed the Sharingan. Finally, he now woke up and found himself in an unknown place, with an unknown man—that the Kyūbi seemed to hate—sitting near him.

Needless to say, he was tired of the word 'unknown'.

The man seemed to consider his question, he expression becoming much more serious.

"Well, in reverse order. We are in a hidden base of mine behind the waterfall you fell over. The Kyūbi hates me because I am one of only two men to control it with the Sharingan; and, as to who I am." He said, pausing as he closed his eyes, allowing Naruto's own to widen in shock, the sharingan still spinning.

This was one of the men that had controlled the Kyūbi? Was he the one that Kyūbi said he reminded him of?

After a moment, the man's eyes snapped open, a fully-matured sharingan spinning to life in his eyes, as he looked at Naruto.

"I am Madara Uchiha, and I am your grandfather."

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

**Chapter End**

**AN/ So, there's the first chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. I apologize for the inexcusably long wait, but as I stated at the beginning, I was planning this out very thoroughly, and I also had some personal road blocks that kept me from having much free time.**

**Either way, there shouldn't be too much trouble from now on, I'm hoping to have a chapter out every couple weeks, but I can't make any promises.**

**Anyways, on to announcements. I think I've decided to keep this a double pairing, as stated at the beginning of the chapter. At this point, the only thing that could change that is near unanimous support for adding in Fem-Gaara in reviews.**

**I think my focus will stay on this story for a while, but I've been contemplating a couple crossover ideas, that aren't really seriously planned yet.**

**I would really appreciate reviews for this story, especially any with any tips/constructive criticism of how my writing skills stack up. I do hope to be a successful writer, so any advice helps, just don't flame, I find those useless, as they don't provide any tips for improvement, or usually even have much to do with the story.**

**Now, as to the poll I mentioned at the beginning of the chapter, I will take suggestions of girls that should be added into the poll from reviews.**

**Lastly, I hope you all have fun with the challenge I set forth at the beginning of the chapter.**

**Until then,**

**RinneTaicho Signing Off!**

**EDIT 2-15-15: Alright, this is the first edited chapter, five more to go.**

**Until next time,**

**RinneTaicho, Signing Off!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Naruto: Uchiha Chronicles**

**AN/ Alright and we are starting of the second chapter. Sorry about being two days over the two weeks I thought it would take, but I had some trouble with some of the scenes at the end of the chapter and a few things around the house that set me back for about four days.**

**Before the chapter starts, I want to remind people of my challenge I gave last chapter, since no one actually took it up, don't know if people simply didn't want to guess this soon, or if there simply aren't that many reading this story yet, but anyways, here's the competition: The first person to correctly guess the identity of the second girl before she is revealed, will be given the option of choosing a girl that will be either the pairing for one of my next fics, or might be a second pairing for one of my upcoming fics(if I already have a firm choice for that fic).**

**I will inform the winner(the first person to guess correctly), that they won via a PM, and simply announce an end to the contest. This way, I get to keep my evil suspense going as well as not giving away who the girl is by publically announcing the winner(because you could just go and see who they guessed and find out).**

**There are only three limitations I will put on the choices, and they are: 1) I won't do female Bijū, there are quite a few problems I have with this pairing, too many to get into. 2) I won't do Kushina or any other incest. This isn't my thing, I read the occasional fic with this pairing, but that is very few and far between, and only if it's good enough, but I don't have an interest in writing it myself. 3) They have to be shinobi. I don't really have an interest in having him be with civilians, as they would have no chance of protecting themselves from his enemies.**

**Besides that, any other girl is game, I'll even do gender bends(obviously I have no issue with these.).**

**The rules for guessing are simple, you get to guess one girl per chapter review, and if multiple are given, I will simply take the very first one as the guess. Obviously, with the fact I will be informing the winner that they won vie PM, you will need an account to win.**

**I hope people have fun with this.**

**Now, on with the second chapter, of Naruto: Uchiha Chronicles!**

**EDIT 4-18-15:**

**Alright, here's the second edited chapter. I suspect it will be the most drastic of all.**

Normal speech: "what"

Extremely loud group/single person shouting: "WHAT!"

Thoughts/Speech taken out of context:_ 'what'_

Letter/Book/Written text: '_What'_

Demon/Summon speech: **"what"**

Demon/Summon thoughts: **_'what'_**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or Bleach, that honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Tite Kubo respectively.

**Arc I: The Origin:**

**Chapter 2: The Tale of Madara, and Shisui's Gift!**

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

The blond Uchiha stared with shocked Sharingan eyes at the old man in front of him. His body was frozen in shock at the bomb shell Madara had just hit him with, the breath seemed to be driven from his body, like someone just hit him in the stomach with a sledgehammer.

Did he just hear him right? Did the old man just claim to be his grandfather? It seemed completely ridiculous, after all—what were the chances that he would fall off a waterfall that his long lost grandfather lived behind? Things like that just didn't happen. The claim was plain ludicrous

But there was one thing that made his claim believable. The Sharingan. Naruto couldn't help but remember how the Kyūbi said he reminded it of one of the men that controlled it, that he looked like him.

_'Could it really be true? Could he really be my grandfather?' _Thought Naruto to himself uncertainly.

If it was true, Naruto had a lot of questions for the man. First and foremost being where he had been his entire life. Still slightly skeptical, Naruto decided to at least see what he had to say—the man did save him from falling to his death after all.

"I'm not saying I believe you; but say it is true, that you are my grandfather, where've you been all my life?" Asked Naruto cautiously, deactivating his Sharingan to stop the drain on his chakra.

The elder Uchiha sighed at his question, looking much older than his already very advanced age. The white-haired man looked down, his onyx eyes vacant as he became engrossed in his inner thoughts.

"I can assure you; I am your grandfather." Said Madara. "As for where I have been all your life, that is a long story, and one full of many mistakes I have regretted."

Naruto simply looked at him with his eyes full of determination. Clearly he wouldn't be giving up until he had answers.

"Very well. To understand the reason I have not been there, you must first know the story of my life after I left Konoha nearly forty years ago, on the day I met your grandmother in the deserts of the Land of Wind." Began Madara, his mind becoming lost in the past forty-five years ago.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

**— ****39 Years Ago —**

Madara's feet padded softly across the desert. He wore a black cloak over his usual armor—which produced a constant clanking sound—, with the hood up to cast a shadow over his eyes, and his war fan strapped to his back. Around him a howling wind whipped up the sands of the desert, creating an opaque cloud that blocked off visibility just a few meters in front of him.

But he paid no heed to it, or the sand that rubbed against his skin, scrubbing it raw. It had been twenty-three years since his fight with Hashirama at the place that had afterwards been dubbed 'The Valley of the End'. Since then, he had spent his time making preparations for the Eye of the Moon Plan.

After awakening the Rinnegan, he had summoned the statue he had dubbed the Gedo Statue, and created a clone of Hashirama, along with a strange type of creature that grew from the same tree as the clone–that called themselves Zetsu.

The sound of his cloak flapping around filled his ears, as he made his way across the deserts of the Land of Wind. He was here to scout Sunagakure, the village that possessed the Ichibi no Shukaku. Before he began collecting the Bijū, he had to plan out every little detail; like where he would extract them, which would require he find places to serve as temporary bases in all the nations that had jinchūriki. His first stop was naturally the village who not only had the weakest Bijū—but was probably the weakest of the Great Five in military strength.

For half the day he walked, heedless of the heat beating down on his neck, or the wind that carried sand with it, rubbing his skin raw. He simply carried onward at a steady pace. It wasn't until he was only a few hours from the walls of Suna, that anything out of the ordinary happened.

Through his sensing skills, he sensed a rather impressive chakra signature—nowhere near his or Hashirama's, but definitely impressive. It even had an especially unique feel, like the person possessed a bloodline, one he hadn't encountered before. Whoever it was, they were headed towards Suna from the border with Ishigakure. They were also heading into a trap, because only a mile in front of them, twelve other signatures were in positions that suggested they were poised to close ranks and surround the person.

It wasn't hard to discover the reason for the supposed ambush. Although it had begun to wind down, the Shinobi World War was still going on, and although uncommon—since much of the fighting was being done in smaller countries—incursions between the 'Great Five' hidden villages, happened.

It was the strongest signature of the ambush group that gave him a clue as to what village the two sides were on. He recognized it as one identical to a boy from Iwa he had encountered over twenty years ago in one of his 'diplomatic' visits to the Land of Earth. Madara spared him to see how strong he would be when he reached his potential, in hopes he might give him a good 'dance'.

_'Hmm . . . if he's here, the group is from ..' _Madara mused. _'No doubt that means that the other is from Suna, with their recent skirmishes.'_. The former clan held almost felt a grin tug at his lips. _'Perhaps the Explosion Style user has learned to dance better since last we met.' _. It had been a long time since he had actually fought, and the possibility of a good fight had his blood practically boiling in anticipation. The fact that this could possibly get him an asset in scouting Suna if he played his cards right—was just a bonus.

The wind brushed his black and grey bangs out of his right eye, his onyx gaze changed to a glowing red, with three tomoe spinning around each in a menacing fashion. Savage grin in place, he disappeared in a burst of speed—looking forward to the fight to come.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Kazehana ran across the desert at a rapid pace. Small gouts of sand flew up behind her, as she dashed with her body bent forward and arms trailing behind her. The sun beat down upon the back of her neck, which was covered by a tan scarf wound around her neck and shoulders.

The slender kunoichi had a surprisingly innocent appearance; with shoulder-length, blond hair which framed her kind-looking face, and blue eyes. She wore a simple outfit—which did well at disguising her slightly buxom feminine figure—along with a long, silver-white, windflower light silk scarf draped loosely around her neck. Keeping her bangs back from her forehead was her black-clothed head band.

A soft sigh escaped her lips. She was on her way back from yet another mission to try and sabotage Iwa's war efforts—something her Magnet Release kekkei genkai made her especially equipped for, since she could turn their weapons against them, or even break them down into particles of powder. She was honestly tired of the war, and fighting in general. At thirty-four years old, she was considering retiring. She had had a very successful career, gaining the rank of Jōnin and becoming one of the strongest Kunoichi in the village. But now, all she really wanted to do was to settle down and start a family, and watch proudly as her younger brother Fukurō attain his dream of being Kazekage—something he was being groomed for due to his innovation of their bloodline to mimic the abilities of Shukaku's jinchūriki.

_Sigh . . . I think I'll bring it up with Lord Kazekage and Fukurō once I get back._ It wasn't really that hard of a decision for her, the only reason it hadn't been made sooner was because her village needed her. In truth, she never really liked fighting, but it was necessary to protect her village and brother. Now, with him having far surpassed her, she could rest easy in retiring—knowing the village was in good hands.

Whether it was her distracting thoughts, or premature relaxation from being in the Land of Wind again—Kazehana was snapped from her musings when she was suddenly put on edge. Her senses went into overdrive as she felt chakra signatures appearing around her. They were moving to completely surround her, and she had no time to avoid it. _Dammit . . . it's too late to escape._

She cursed as she realized she had walked straight into a trap. Her sapphire gaze lost its usual kind quality, being replaced by a fierce concentration as she examined the shinobi surrounding her. Involuntarily, her blood ran cold when she saw the single-sleeved red uniforms and the brown armor. She was surrounded by no less than a dozen Iwagakure Jōnin level ninja. The one that caused the most dread stood directly in front of her with a grim expression.

The man had spiky, light-brown hair and prominent jaw-lines, and green eyes that showed the coolness of an experienced shinobi. He wore the standard Iwa uniform, with his right arm exposed save for his head band. He was tall, with an athletic build. His expression showed that—while he was resolved—he had regrets about his mission.

She recognized him easily. He was Gari of the Explosion Release, head of the Explosion Corps. Alone she stood a good chance, but with eleven other Jōnin with him, she stood almost none. The kunoichi ruthlessly squashed down on the sorrow that threatened to rear its head, at what was to come. She was a proud member of Suna, and she wouldn't die crying like a helpless girl.

After a few minutes of a silent stare off between her and Gari, the man finally spoke.

"I'm afraid that you won't be making it back to your village Kazehana-san." He told her. "The Tsuchikage has decided your brother is becoming too much of a threat, he wants him to be unbalanced so it will be easier to take him down.". The man paused, sighing before continuing. "Therefore, we've been ordered to eliminate you, thus removing two of the biggest threats from your village.".

At first, her heart had sunk upon hearing that they were indeed here to kill her. When she heard it was part of a plan to kill her baby brother, a white hot rage filled her. She had helped raise him after their parents were killed, he was the only family she had—and they wanted to take him away from her? Her arms rose up slowly. A scraping and clanking sound filled the air. Hundreds of kunai and shuriken began pouring out of the sleeves of her shirt. Puffs of smoke issued from various places on her clothing as even more weapons, including sais, chakram, blade staffs, and various other unique blades—rose into the air. The weapons coalesced into a sphere of sharp pointy objects surrounding her from all sides, and even above her

"Trying to kill me is one thing, but I won't let you lay a finger on my little brother!" She declared fiercely. She prepared to launch her weapons at them and shred them to pieces.

Most of the men surrounding her were wary of the intimidating wall of weapons. They arranged themselves into rows with a creepy sort of inanimate synchronization.

**"Magnet Style: Thousand Blade Dance!**" She cried as the spinning reached a fever pitch. A giant—_BZZZZZZZ_—sound filled the air, as if many giant fans were blowing around her. Just when it appeared the blades were about to suddenly expand outwards, all motion abruptly ceased. Silence dominated for a second, save for the wind and the shifting sand. All at once, the blades began to fall, a tremendous and continuous clanging filling the air as they landed on top of each other. It threw up a cloud of sand that obscured Kazehana from view.

When the cloud of grit began settling, it revealed a large seal array underneath Kazehana, glowing and pulsing with a faint blue light, drawing a pinkish-purple chakra from the weapons.

The woman was left stunned in the field of weapons, mouth agape in shock.

"Wh-what's happening? My Magnet Release . . . it's not working!" She gasped in horror. Her strongest abilities were out of reach. She was doomed

"Lord Tsuchikage gave me a special seal design to use to nullify you magnetic chakra for a small period of time. It's not versatile or powerful enough to be useful against someone like you brother, but against you . . . " Explained Gari, his expression grim as ever. The man showed no sign of gloating over having outplayed her, seemingly resigned to carry out his mission.

One of the jōnin surrounding her decided to speak up, his voice nervous as he did. "Shouldn't we get this over with, ya know, before it stops working and she can use her kekkei genkai again?" He asked. His fellow jōnin nodded their agreement.

Gari sighed, nodding and giving his ascent to attack. Kazehana's heart sank. This was it. This was _really _it. Her only chance of victory had been stripped from her. She would die here, in this lonely desert. She thought of her brother, waiting for her to return so that they could celebrate his transition to Kazekage. He would be all alone now. Tears welled in her eyes. _Fukurō . . . I don't want to leave him alone. Please, someone, anyone help! _She prayed. A tear slipped down her cheek. Seconds ticked by, and nothing happened save for the Iwa ninja drawing weapons, kunai, and swords in some cases.

The jōnin began to charge at her, and still there was no answer. Just as Kazehana had begun to lose all hope, and say her goodbyes, a miracle happened.

Out of nowhere, a massive killing intent slammed down on everyone. It was so great, it made Kazehana's knee's shake. She couldn't even imagine what it was doing to the Iwa ninja, who it seemed to be focused on. She could her the rasps as they struggled to draw breath, and see the trembling as they fought to stay standing. A small hope began to form within her. Could this be someone here to help? Her eyes darted around, trying to find whoever was producing this killing intent. Finally, she locked onto a man standing atop one of the dunes. She could tell from the height it was a man; clad in a black cloak with a large gunbai strapped to his back. Kazehana couldn't see much else of him, due to the harsh sunlight. The only thing she could make out of the stranger, was a pair of glowing red eyes, glaring at the Iwa ninja.

The mysterious stranger spoke in a cold voice; "I hope you don't mind, but I saw you dancing, and decided to cut in."

Kazehana witnessed the blood draining from Gari's face. Did he know this stranger somehow? If he did, the person filled him with dread. "I-it can't be . . . you're supposed to be dead, what are you doing here?" He asked shakily.

She got the sense that the man on the dune was smirking, when he spoke to Gari.

"You've grown up since last we met face to face. Tell me, how far have your skills come?" He asked, not seeming truly concerned with getting an answer. "I hope that this time, out dance will be much more entertaining. The fodder should spice things up."

Kazehana felt conflicted. The tone in his voice when the man spoke of the 'fodder, was slightly abhorrent. At the same time, the man was saving her. She couldn't help but feel grateful that he would be taking them on for her.

"Who is he Gari?" Asked one of the jōnin. All eleven discretely began getting their hands in position to begin jutsu.

"Madara . . . " The whispered name fell from his lips like lead, but all the Iwa ninja heard it, and they began to tremble in fear. Kazehana was puzzled, but she took it as a good sign that the Iwa ninja seemed to fear him.

_Perhaps I won't have to join mother and father after all. _She thought hopefully.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Madara couldn't help the bloodthirsty smile on his face, as he looked down at the men below him. They clearly knew who he was—and feared him.

"Retreat. Retreat now!" Gari hissed to his men, causing them to begin to scatter. The retreat was halted. Madara smirked, sped towards one of the men in the back. He appeared from a burst of speed, his gunbai extended backwards to come down on the man. The man raised his arms two black. Madara knew it was useless. He channeled wind chakra around the fan, and cleanly bisected him. His body dropped to the ground with a wet _thump_. The sand beneath him was stained crimson, his organs spilled out onto the ground.

"Tsk tsk, how rude, leaving before I have my dance." Said Madara, with a mock disappointed frown. He strode forward with a methodical gait, stopping to stand in between Kazehana and Gari. Madara felt his pulse quickening. It had been a long time since he felt the rush of battle, his own unimaginable power coursing through him. He could see everything the Iwa ninja were about to do; the power of his sharingan.

A chill wind swept across the desert, blowing his bangs to the side. He and the Iwa ninja's both tensed in preparation for the fight to come.

Now even sparing her a glance, Madara spoke to the woman they had been about to kill. "Leave woman. I will take them from here." He told her bluntly. Madara saw her hesitate, and then dart off in the direction of her village. Once she was a good distance away, a savage grin stole across his face.

He leered at his opponents Bloodthirstily; "Shall we begin?" The Iwa ninja sprang into action as one. They performed jutsu in tandem, trying to overpower him. _Good luck with that._ He remarked snidely.

"**Earth Style: Falling Earth Spears!**" Four of the ninja called, as spikes of earth grew from the ground, quickly firing upon Madara from all sides.

At the exact same moment, another group of four completed hand seals of their own.

"**Earth Style: Earth Dragon!**" Four large dragons made of rock rose up from the ground, going into the air higher and higher, until they finally began to descend towards Madara, blocking escape from above.

The Uchiha couldn't help but scoff, at the attempts to take him down. His sharingan began to spin rapidly, morphing into a new shape; the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Three enlarged tomoe with circles at the end joined into a circle with a red shuriken shape in the center, and three bars spreading outwards from the tomoe.

The attacks hit at the exact same time. The sound of earth shattering and rocks grinding filling the air. A large cloud of dust obscured the impact sight. dirt fell to the ground in showers. Madara grinned from within the cloud, a glowing blue ribcage surrounding him. He took pleasure in the terrified faces of the Iwa ninja, when the dust cleared and they could see him once more.

"An impressive display . . " He complimented, though his next words caused the men to freeze. " . . . but did you really think to fool me with such an obvious trick?." The ribcage rapidly began to grow, it's skeletal structure expanding to be the head and torso of an skeletal-like figure—surrounded by a blazing blue aura. The arms quickly swung outwards, slamming into the Iwa shinobi and sending them all flying.

The bodies collapsed into piles of mud upon impact, revealing themselves to be Earth Release Shadow Clones. It was a moment before the first jōnin made a move. He emerged from the ground behind Madara, to attempt to stab him in the back of the neck. Madara side-stepped the swing, and snatched the man by the throat with a single hand.

For a moment he stared into the terrified eyes of the man. His hands scrabbled at Madara's desperately, and the man rasped for air. Madara squeezed hard, and jerked his hand viciously to the side.

A resounding and gruesome crack filled the air, like a dead tree-branch snapping. Madara released his grip, the Jōnin collapsing lifelessly to the ground with his neck twisted at an odd angle. He let out a slight growl. Why did people have to act like rats? Madara had been hoping to at least break a sweat. Apparently that wouldn't be happening

"I don't have much patience for hide and seek." Stated Madara. He placed his hands together, performing a series of three hand seals in such rapid succession his hands were barely even blurs.

Showers of sand erupted around him. Out of one, came Gari, who cursed as he dodged a wooden spike emerging from a clone of Madara. His fellows weren't so lucky. They were impaled upon the spikes of other clones, each lifted into the air in a macabre display of might.

Madara kept his eyes on the sole survivor. He performed a hand seal, which caused the clones to revert to roots and rejoin with his body. The corpses were left to tumble lifelessly to the ground.

"Impressive, you managed to sense my clones in time to avoid them. Perhaps you can provide a better dance this time." Madara told the shocked ninja with a mocking smile. He saw a spark of anger in Gari's eyes, when he looked at the corpses of his comrades.

"Let's just get this over with!" Gari grunted. Madara saw him begin to gather red energy around his hands.

"**Explosion Style: Double Gatling Ray!**" He called. Rapid fire, thin beams of energy began firing at Madara. Whenever they made contact with something, the beans would violently explode, sending showers of sand up into the air all around Madara. Despite this, the Uchiha dodged all the beams with relative ease.

"You will have to do better than that if you wish to live long." Stated Madara as the beams rained down around him. Gari's firing pace increased, but Madara was still able to dodge them easily. He couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. Was this all the brat had?

The beams suddenly ceased, leaving Madara in the center of a dust cloud. _Does he think he hit me?_ He got his answer when another explosion, this one much larger, sounded. Dust kicked up around him into an even larger cloud.

Within the cloud, Madara remained stoic, as he squinted into the cloud of sand, tracking Gari's signature, not even flinching when the hood of his cloak was blown back off his head. He spotted four clones emerging around him, boxing him in with red energy glowing in their hands. As one, they launched their attacks at the same time Gari loosed his massive one.

"**Explosion Style: Landmine Fist!**" They called in unison. From all of the clones palms, a wave of explosive red energy surged forth, quickly engulfing the Uchiha in a blinding light.

Above, Gari's voice cried out. " **Explosion Style: Giant Landmine Fist!**" A massive thunderous explosion rocked that area of a the desert, a miniature earthquake occurring as a massive cloud of sand was blasted into the air, filling the sky with a tidal wave of grit even as the light from the energy of the techniques created a tremendous white dome.

The dome was slow to dissipate, but when it did, a fog of dust larger than any of the ones before it billowed in the air. The flapping of of Gari's clothes as he fell, was the only sound that was made in the wake of the blast. Suddenly, from within the cloud, a giant blue sword emerged and bisected Gari from crotch to chin. His organs spilled out in a gory display of brutality. When the dust settled, his body lay a half dozen yards in front of Madara. Madara was enveloped in a massive ogre-like figure made of cobalt chakra, with two faces and four arms. The chakra dissipated, and left him alone in the crater. As it faded and his eyes returned to their usual onyx state, Madara looked over at Gari's mangled corpse.

"You indeed reached your potential. To force me to use Susanoo to avoid injury, most impressive. I enjoyed this dance," Said Madara. He turned on his heel, and locked eyes with a pair of shocked sapphire orbs. Madara clicked his tongue in annoyance.

It was the woman from earlier. She gaped at him from the edge of the crater, her eyes wide as saucers.

"So you came back? I thought I told you to leave." Madara stated bluntly. He began to walk towards her from the bottom of the crater.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Kazehana panted. She paused in her flight from the would be ambush. Her heart still beat madly from the adrenaline, and a light sweat covered her skin. Slowly, she began to calm down from the near death experience. Her mind drifted to her rescuer. When she thought she was about to be killed, he had stepped in and helped, allowing her to survive and return to her family and village.

She felt guilty about leaving him alone. No matter how confident he had sounded, it was hard to fathom that he could handle them all on his own. The blond bit her lip in worry. Eventually, she simply gave an exasperated sigh. She couldn't simply continue on, and ignore what he had done for her. She at least had to make sure he was okay. Turning back the way she came, Kazehana began to dash across the sand once more.

She practically flew across the desert, trying to get to the sight of the ambush in time to help her savior. Almost halfway to the location of the ambush, a massive explosion went off, causing a slight tremor even from the distance she was at, and sending up a wave of sand that threatened to block out the sun, as the shadow of the towering cloud fell over her, Kazehana redoubled her pace, worried about the well being of the man that had helped her.

It took but a few minutes, for her to reach the area where the ambush site had been, and the sand had begun settling by then, only being a slight haze now. Where once there was flat desert, she stood on the edge of a large crater, looking down at the man that had saved her, as a massive ogre-like construct of cobalt chakra dissipated from around him. Besides some singing on his clothes, the man seemed to not have a scratch on him. Seeming to sense her, he looked up and locked eyes with her, his onyx eyes met her wide sapphire ones.

Awe and a slight amount of fear filled her being as she looked upon the intense black eyes, framed by his blue-tinted black hair with strips of steel grey here and there.

" So you came back. I thought I told you to leave." The man stated bluntly, causing her to wince slightly at the emotionless tone. It was impossible to tell whether he was angry or not.

With a gulp to steady her nerves, she answered the unasked question. "I was worried you'd have trouble with them, so I decided to come back." She stated, her eyes showing her sincerity.

"Are you hurt, that was a big explosion just now." Asked Kazehana.

The man cocked his head to the side in confusion. He looked at her strangely.

"Tell me, what is your name, and why were they attempting to kill you?" He asked. He had finally made it up the side of the crater, to stand in front of her.

Kazehana hesitated at the reminder of the attempt on her life. More importantly, the reason behind it.

"My name is Kazehana, I'm a jōnin of Suna. They were trying to kill me so that my brother would be emotionally vulnerable, and easier to kill," She said. Madara's eyebrow rose."You see, he's being groomed to be Kazekage, so killing him would be a huge blow." Elaborated Kazehana with a grim expression, getting a nod of understanding from Madara.

However, the grim mood only lasted for a few moments, before she seemed to brighten up. Kazehana looked at him curiously. She hadn't encountered anyone that looked quite like him in the Land of Wind. It was especially odd to see someone with black hair there.

"Anyways, who are you, I'd like to know my savior's name." She asked with a kind smile.

"My name is Madara." Madara replied. Kazehana shifted a little uncomfortably under his scrutinizing gaze. She felt like those black eyes were peering into her soul. Was that . . . _interest_, she saw in his? "Tell me, Kazehana-san, you seem rather . . . . kind, to be a ninja, why did you choose to be one?" He asked, a slight curiosity in his tone.

Kazehana blushed slightly in embarrassment, at the question. Of course that was what he was interested in. It was one she had been asked many times, because her innocent appearance and kind demeanor seemed to be inconsistent with what was required of a kunoichi, this was highlighted by her dislike of fighting. Shuffling her feet uncomfortably, she explained to him. "Well, my parents died when my brother and I were still young, killed by enemy ninja." She began. "After that, I decided to become a ninja, so I could protect my little brother , and well, here I am, one of the strongest kunoichi in our village." Explained Kazehana. She looked at him intensely, a sudden strength in her eyes that belied her innocent appearance.

"You see, I believe that you are only truly powerful when you have someone you love and want to protect, it pushes you to work just that little bit harder to gain the power, for their sake. Do you have anyone like that?" She responded, her expression very sincere.

A melancholy look flashed across Madara's face. Though it didn't last long, Kazehana could still see the sadness in his eyes. She almost gasped. She could recognize that look anywhere. It spoke of a tragic past, and someone who had lost someone dear. She had seen it in her own eyes for some time after her parents death.

"I did once, long ago. But that is no more." He told her. If he was feeling any sort of emotion, Madara concealed it very well. "You are an interesting one, perhaps we will meet again." Stated Madara. He began walking in the direction that Kazehana recognized as a circuitous route to Suna.

Before he had gotten more than ten feet, she called out to him. "I hope we do, and I hope you can find someone to protect once again Madara-san." The Suna kunoichi told him, eyes shining kindly as she looked at his back.

She heard him reply, his voice so quiet you could barely distinguish it from the whispering of the wind. Kazehana wondered if it was her imagination, but it sounded like he said; "A new person to protect and love? . . . perhaps."

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

**— ****Present —**

Madara's eyes shone with unshed tears, as he remembered his very first encounter with his late wife. She had done so much for him, pulling him from the darkness and into the light, giving him a new purpose.

"Your grandmother was a great woman. I was a very different man at the time we met—consumed by hatred, and on my way down a dark path. She had the unique ability to change people for the better, and she certainly did it for me. It's because of her that I have never fallen to that hate again—I could never face her if I were to do so." Said Madara, looking at his grandson. He saw a lot of his late wife in the young child.

"So what happened after you met her?"

Madara sighed, once more immersing himself in memories of the past.

"For a time, we were happy. We eventually married, and not too long after, your father was born. But soon after, things changed. One day, your grandmother took your father to a carnival nearby.

"On their way back, they were attacked by missing-nin turned bandits. Your grandmother managed to fight and kill them, but not before being mortally wounded. By the time I arrived, she was already dead, and your father was missing." Madara clenched his fist. The tears that had been swimming in his eyes began to spill. "I-I tried to save her. With the power of my Rinnegan, I managed to bring her soul back . . at least temporarily."

Naruto gave him a confused look. "What's the rinnegan?" He asked. Madara felt a bit of the sadness he was feeling leave, at his grandsons innocent curiosity. It was so similar to his wife's. He wiped the tears from his eyes, and gave Naruto a brief history of the rinnegan, and its abilities. When he had made sure Naruto understood it, Madara began to tell his story again.

"—Now, where was I? Oh, yes. As I said, I was able to revive your grandmother temporarily. You see, while my jutsu returned her, it didn't repair her body," He told Naruto grimly. "She only lived long enough to tell me that she had seen a kind man come and take Minato before her soul departed, and to tell me she loved me. I nearly broke down after that. Without her light, it became harder to fight the darkness. But I had to. She made me promise never to fall to that curse again, and I gave my word that I wouldn't." Madara said softly. He felt Naruto pat his arm comfortingly, and smiled at the small boy. With a shaky breath, he pulled himself together, looking back up at his grandson. His eyes reminded him so much of his wife, just like his son's had.

Madara shook his head. He really was growing old, constantly lost in memories of his long life. "After your grandmother died, I took her body back to our home in the Land of Rivers, and buried her. From there, I set out to try and find your father; a journey that took me twenty-two years.

"I finally found him, in this very village. His first name was still the same, but he had received a new name in the orphanage," Said Madara. He saw Naruto lean forward in anticipation. The boy looked at him pleadingly.

"Who was he? Tell me about him, please! I've always wanted to know who my parents were!" Naruto begged. Madara frowned at the desperation in his grandsons voice. It was a reminder of how he had lived his childhood so far in scorn. He smiled softly and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Of course I'll tell you who he was. I'll tell you who _both_ your parents were." He told Naruto warmly. Naruto gave beamed happily at him. With a smile, he began to tell Naruto who his parents were, both their names, and as people. He told him of Minato's genius, and his quiet yet kind nature. He also told him about his mother, her fiery attitude and brash way of talking to others. Madara continued until he had exhausted the knowledge he had gained of his son and his son's wife, through his spying in the village.

Although there were a few tears, they were happy ones. But Madara could see that something was bothering Naruto. He tried to hide it, but no matter how happy he became, it never disappeared. Finally, Naruto asked the question that was on his mind. It was one Madara had been hoping to put off.

"Grandfather, you said that my mother was the jinchūriki before me, right? Naruto asked. Madara frowned. He could guess where this was going. He nodded none the less. "Then how did it escape? And why did they choose to seal it in me?" Naruto asked with a deep frown.

The warmth from seeing his grandsons happiness at learning who his parents were, faded. In its place was a somberness. He had been expecting the question eventually, but he was hoping it would come at a later time.

"_sigh_—I suppose I should tell you. You remember what I said about the other rinnegan user?" Madara asked Naruto. He nodded his head. "On the night you were born, your mothers seal was weakened. When a female jinchūriki gives birth, her seal becomes weak. Someone sought to take advantage of this when you were born. A masked man, who possessed the sharingan." He said darkly. Naruto gasped in shock.

"He appeared that night, and forced your father to escape with you, leaving him alone with your mother. He extracted the Kyūbi from her, and set it loose on the village. I'm not sure how, but your father eventually broke his control over Kyūbi. After he did, Minato teleported it away. I arrived soon after. When I reached the place he had teleported it to, your parents had already begun the sealing. Kushina held the Kyūbi down, while Minato did the sealing. Unfortunately, Kushina's weakness got the best of her.

"She suffered a coughing fit, and her control on her chains holding the Kyūbi weakened. Kyūbi took advantage, and tried to prevent itself from being sealed, by killing you. Your parents stopped it. They threw themselves in front of of its claw, and kept it from reaching you. They sacrificed themselves, to save you," Madara explained somberly. He looked Naruto in the eyes. Tears were swimming in the young boys eyes.

"Th-they did?" He stuttered. Madara nodded seriously.

"Yes, they did. Your parents loved you very much, you were the best thing to ever happen to them." He told Naruto. The boy was still frowning slightly, though it had softened considerably.

"Then why did they seal the Kyūbi into _me_? Didn't they know what it would be like?" Naruto asked. Madara sighed heavily. That was a difficult question to answer. He knew his son had at least a partially good reason for his actions, but another part was due to his naive nature.

"My son—your father—was an incredibly kind man. Perhaps too kind. Unfortunately, he could sometimes be naive He had faith that the villagers would see you as a hero, faith in their goodness. After losing so much to the Kyūbi, there was little chance of being a hero. However—" Madara looked at Naruto, who looked deeply upset. "—that was not the entire reason. I managed to get close enough to catch the very end of your parents discussion about sealing the Kyūbi into you. You see, as Hokage, he wished to preserve the balance of the tailed beasts. Without a jinchūriki, Konoha would have lack a valuable war deterrent that would have left it vulnerable to enemy attack in its weakened condition. The biggest reason though, was that he knew the masked man would be coming back for it. He wanted to entrust you with its power so that you could stop the man when he came again. After all, who better to trust than his son?"

Madara could tell his words had gotten through to the boy. The tears that had been swimming in his eyes now poured down in thick streams from his eyes. Naruto began to sniffle.

"W-well, then I guess I'm going to have to p-prove them r-right." Naruto said. Madara smiled warmly. He placed his son on his grandsons shoulder, causing the boy to look up at him with his slightly puffy eyes.

"Then I will help you to train. I'll teach you all that I can, in order to help you defeat that man one day." He promised. Naruto beamed at him. Madara was taken b y surprise when the child leapt from the bed and into his arms, hugging him tightly around the neck. He could feel his grandsons hot tears creating a wet spot on his robe.

"Th-thank you Grandfather. I can't believe I finally have a family." Naruto cried. Madara placed his arms around his grandson, and patted his back gently.

"There there, no need to cry. You don't have to worry about being alone anymore, Naruto." He said softly.

Sitting there comforting his grandson, Madara made a vow. _Minato, Kushina, Kazehana. I will not fail, not this time. Not again. Naruto will grow to be a better shinobi, and man, then any of our family before him. This, I swear._

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

A breeze passed through the trees, causing a constant rustling. The cool air like an icy chill on Shisui's slightly sweaty skin, easing his exhaustion somewhat. Blood ran down from his now empty right eye socket. He travelled at fast speeds through the foliage of the forests that made up Konoha's training grounds. Leaves of varying shades of green, from lime to emerald, blurring into a wall of color due to his speed.

_What do I do now? I can't go back to the clan like this, there'll be trouble because of the eye Danzō took, so what now? _The Uchiha thought. The unruly-haired Uchiha couldn't help but curse, as he leapt from branch to branch. The—presumably former—one-eyed elder had ruined everything! Why did the old bastard have to interfere?

His orders came from the Third, yet the old war hawk had interfered. The bastard always had to think that he knew better, that the Third was too soft, and he made decisions to interfere with the Third's, that usually made things worse. None more so than the current one.

He had been so close, to stopping his clans coup d'état against Konoha. It was rather simple, use his unique genjutsu granted by his Mangekyō Sharingan on the leaders of the clan to stop the coup. But that was useless now, because the former Anbu Commander of the 'disbanded' Root program—Danzō Shimura—had intercepted him, and stolen his right eye.

Now he had to somehow keep the other out of his grubby hand, because it would be disastrous if the war hawk got a hold of the full power of the Kotoamatsukami. Still . . . he wanted his eye to help in protecting Konoha; even after his death. That meant he had to entrust it to someone. As that fact crossed his mind, the one-eyed mans features slowly twisted into a smirk. He wanted to entrust his powers to someone he knew would use them to protect the village. The unruly haired Uchiha knew the perfect person to fit that bill, a person who already had a mission to stop the coup.

Not only that . . . but maybe, just maybe; he could give Konoha a new set of Mangekyō eyes to protect it from the shadows for years to come. His smirk melted into a melancholy smile, as he finally cemented his plan.

_It seems I should get Itachi to meet me at the usual place, for a final fair well . . . and hopefully, I can give him the edge he needs to complete his mission successfully_. The man stopped briefly on a branch. Around him the forest was painted orange, as the last rays of light started to disappear on the horizon. Crickets could be heard chirping in the night, as he flashed through a series of hand seals, ending on the 'ram' hand seal. Channeling chakra to his tooth, to sharpen it and pierce his thumb. With a quick swipe across his palm that smeared the resulting blood across it, the unruly-haired Uchiha slammed his palm onto the wide branch he stood on.

_Poof_

A plume of smoke erupted from where his palm met the bark, as the Uchiha prepared to send his message to his friend that was like a younger brother, feeling a twinge of sadness at the conversation to come.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

An inky black curtain, stretched across the sky, and tiny pinpricks of light were beginning to come out, with one single, large white orb on high.

The silvery light of the moon shone down on the rocky terrain to the side of the Hokage monument, casting the world into a grey tone. Shisui stood on the a cliff overlooking the Naka River, with a small waterfall directly across from him. By now, the blood on his face had dried into a solid dark red sheet down his right cheek.

Gazing out across the canyon with his single good eye, Shisui reflected on the events of the day. The day had started so well—he had planned on ending the ridiculous coup of his clan with his special genjutsu; but then, the damned bandaged faced fossil had interfered, stealing his eye, and sending his little drones after him. He had gotten a slight break when three of them had broken off, allowing him to escape and get word to Itachi. The really strange part was, when he went back later and followed the trail of the three Root ninja that had broken off, it had ended at the edge of a waterfall, and the only thing he had found was three patches of blackened earth.

_I wonder what happened . . . it looked almost as if fires had been set there—fires to burn bodies . . . could they have been killed? But by who?'_This thought, was prominent in Shisui's mind. As much as he hated to admit it, Root Anbu were skilled. For three to be killed was no small feat, and to be able to get rid of all traces of them to the point that even he couldn't find them, was even harder.

With a sigh, Shisui closed his eye for a moment, before opening it slowly. He said, "So, you've finally arrived . . . Itachi . ." Behind him, a second man—who looked to be about thirteen or fourteen—walked out onto the cliff, looking at Shisui with confusion.

I had jet black hair, that was bound into a low-ponytail, and onyx eyes. Pronounced tear troughs extended underneath his eyes, and his bangs were parted down the center. He wore the traditional Anbu attire with an Uchiha high-collar shirt underneath his grey body armor, a katana strapped to his back.

"Why did you call me here Shisui, shouldn't we be at the meeting, the clan will get suspicious if I keep missing them." Itachi said as he approached the older Uchiha.

Still looking at the small waterfall across from him, Shisui spoke without turning. " It no longer looks like the Uchiha coup d'état gain be prevented." Itachi's eyes widened at Shisui's words.

"If civil war begins in the Leaf, the other villages will be like sharks smelling blood in the water, and surely move to invade." Stated Shisui bluntly. He looked at the sky. "Real war will then break out." Shisui finally turned to face Itachi, who gasped in shock at his closed eye and the large trail of blood.

"When I tried to stop the coup d'état with the Kotoamatsukami, Danzō stole my right eye." Said Shisui, as he looked at Itachi with his one good Mangekyō Sharingan. "He doesn't trust me. He intends to protect the village his way, no matter what it takes or how it looks." Turning, Shisui glanced at the canyon beside him.

"I suspect he will come after my left eye as well." Said Shisui, as he reached up to his eye. "So I want to give it to you before he has a chance" He continued, a sick squelching sound filling the air, as he ripped the eyeball from the socket, the optical nerve and blood vessel dangling from the orb clutched loosely in his hand.

Blood dripped from his hand; which was stained with the crimson liquid. "You're the only person I can count on, my best friend." Smiling, he extended his hand to his friend. "Please protect the village . . . and the honor of the Uchiha name." Said Shisui.

Tears began to swim in Itachi's eyes. He slowly took the eye, ignoring the sliminess as he clutched it softly. "Why are you speaking this way Shisui?" Asked Itachi, although he already knew; he just didn't want to admit it.

Shisui smiled teasingly at his friend. "Come now– we both know that if the clan finds out that my eye was taken, the coup will be hastened. To prevent this, I will make it look like a killed myself. I already left a suicide letter, now I will throw myself over the side of this cliff, and eliminate all traces of my body." he replied.

Slowly, he began to back up, still facing Itachi's way as he threw his parting words at him. "Good bye, my friend. Protect the clan name, and Sasuki. She is the future of our clan." Said Shisui.

"Wait, Shisui, don't do this!" Protested Itachi, only to be ignored. Shisui turned, and dashed to the edge of the cliff, throwing himself backwards and over the side. Itachi quickly dashed after him, stopping on the edge to see his friend falling towards the river below, forming hand seals rapidly. A peaceful smile was on his face, even as white hot flames began to engulf his body. Itachi looked on in despair as his friend burnt himself to ashes, his Sharingan becoming active. The tomoe began to spin rapidly, until they morphed into an all new shape, joining together with the pupil at the ends, forming a tri-bladed pinwheel.

"SHISUI!" He shouted while he was forced to watch his friend disappear, the peaceful smile never leaving his face.

The flames licked at his body, and his skin began to crack and blister as it slowly burnt. The sickly sweet fetor of cooked human flesh filled the air around him—his body disappearing into a trail of ashes.

_'Itachi . . . I have faith in you. This way, my death will mean something . . and you can save the honor of the Uchiha name.'_ Thought Shisui, as he finally disappeared, only a trail of ash that slowly fell through the air and landed in the water below, being swept away on the current.

With his dying breath, he had left his friend with a gift to help him for years to come.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

**Chapter End**

**AN/ Ok, there we go. Whew, took longer than I thought, but I'm, happy with the end product. So, the story of Madara's life in this fic is revealed, and Naruto now has a family. Shisui is dead, and the massacre of the clan is approaching.**

**I hope you enjoyed the back story for Madara, I worked hard on it. **

**Now, end of chapter announcements. I need some opinions on a couple things in review. I plan on having a couple filler missions in between Wave and the Chūnin Exams to build the romance between Naruto and Sasuki(Fem-Sasuke), so I could use your input on possible missions from filler arcs in the Anime. They have to be challenging enough that Naruto and Fem-Sasuke will get a challenge, but easy enough for pre-Chūnin Exams Sakura to survive. They would also need a challenge for Kakashi, unless it was one where he wasn't present. Currently I am leaning towards the Land of Vegetables Arc, and the Waterfall OVA; let me know your opinions.**

**Second thing for your attention, I would like to bring your attention once more to my contest I mentioned at the beginning of the chapter: The first person to correctly guess the identity of the second girl before she is revealed, will be given the option of choosing a girl that will be either the pairing for one of my next fics, or might be a second pairing for one of my upcoming fics(if I already have a firm choice for that fic).**

**I will inform the winner(the first person to guess correctly), that they won via a PM, and simply announce an end to the contest. This way, I get to keep my evil suspense going as well as not giving away who the girl is by publically announcing the winner(because you could just go and see who they guessed and find out).**

**There are only three limitations I will put on the choices, and they are: 1) I won't do female Bijū, there are quite a few problems I have with this pairing, too many to get into. 2) I won't do Kushina or any other incest. 3) They have to be shinobi. I don't really have an interest in having him be with civilians, as they would have no chance of protecting themselves from his enemies.**

**Besides that, any other girl is game, I'll even do gender bends(obviously I have no issue with these.).**

**The rules for guessing are simple, you get to guess one girl per chapter review, and if multiple are given, I will simply take the very first one as the guess. Obviously, with the fact I will be informing the winner that they won vie PM, you will need an account to win.**

**I hope people have fun with this.**

**Finally, please review. They really help me figure out what I am doing right, and I love the feedback and critiques, so long as it is done in a constructive manner. **

**I'll try to get the next chapter out in one to two weeks.**

**Until then,**

**RinneTaicho, signing off!**

**EDIT 4-18-15:**

**Hey, so I edited this and the other six chapters to fit my new style. This chapter received the biggest overhaul, as I cut out nearly 4000 words, shortening the scene with Naruto and Madara, and cutting out some of the flashbacks. I also limited it to a single point of view.**

**Anyways. **

**RinneTaicho, signing off!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Naruto: Uchiha Chronicles**

**AN/ What. In. The. Hell! The time has completely slipped away from me guys, sorry. Its only now I realize that it's been over five months since I updated. Sorry, I had some stuff I had to work out over the summer, and then school took up a hell of a lot of time this past term. **

**News: First, the poll on my profile is still in use, and the contest I set up is as well. Just to refresh your memory, I'll give the rules and stuff below. **

**Second, while I am possibly going to continue Soul Reaper Chronicles, I can't guarantee the same for the Mokuton fic, although it is possible. **

**Now, here's the contest. The first person to correctly guess the identity of the second girl before she is revealed, will be given the option of choosing a girl that will be either the pairing for one of my next fics, or might be a second pairing for one of my upcoming fics(if I already have a firm choice for that fic).**

**I will inform the winner(the first person to guess correctly), that they won via a PM, and simply announce an end to the contest. This way, I get to keep my evil suspense going as well as not giving away who the girl is by publically announcing the winner(because you could just go and see who they guessed and find out).**

**There are only three/ limitations I will put on the choices, and they are: 1) I won't do female Bijū, there are quite a few problems I have with this pairing, too many to get into. 2) I won't do Kushina or any other incest. This isn't my thing, I read the occasional fic with this pairing, but that is very few and far between, and only if it's good enough, but I don't have an interest in writing it myself. 3) They have to be shinobi. I don't really have an interest in having him be with civilians, as they would have no chance of protecting themselves from his enemies.**

**Besides that, any other girl is game, I'll even do gender bends(obviously I have no issue with these.).**

**The rules for guessing are simple, you get to guess one girl per chapter review, and if multiple are given, I will simply take the very first one as the guess. Obviously, with the fact I will be informing the winner that they won vie PM, you will need an account to win.**

**Now enough talk, on with the third chapter, of Naruto: Uchiha Chronicles.**

**EDIT 4-19-15: **

**Alright, nearly halfway done with editing, this one shouldn't take too long.**

Normal speech: "what"

Extremely loud group/single person shouting: "WHAT!"

Thoughts/Speech taken out of context:_ 'what'_

Letter/Book/Written text: '_What'_

Demon/Summon speech: **"what"**

Demon/Summon thoughts: **_'what'_**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or Bleach, that honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Tite Kubo respectively.

**Arc I: The Origin:**

**Chapter 3: Holding Back, and Prelude!**

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

In the hidden grotto underneath the Naka River, Naruto—now eight—stood in front of his grandfather—who was using an old kama as a make-shift cane. Behind him, the caves small waterfall cascaded lightly into the crystal clear pool, which seemed to glow with an inner light due to the small shaft of sunlight that shone down from a small crack in the ceiling. The ground had been evened out, all the stalagmites being removed in favor of a smooth floor, to create a small area perfect for training.

Naruto had grown slightly in the past year, being slightly above average in height for his age. His hair had begun to darken slightly, with black strands here and there; and it had lost some of its spikiness, becoming more shaggy in appearance. He wore a simple attire, with an Uchiha-style high-collar shirt and a pair of tan shorts.

The past year had been amazing for the blond. After he met his grandfather, he had begun to live inside the cave with him after setting up a secret passageway between it and his apartment building so that no one would see him going to the waterfall every day. Something Naruto had learned rather quickly was that Madara was different from most grandparents. He had a different concept of fun activities. Whereas most people would teach their grandchildren to fly a kite, or dote on them with sweats—Madara would show him how to forge his own kunai and shuriken, and teach him to play shogi.

But Naruto's favorite activity was probably the training they did together. Each day Madara would help him train after the academy, and each day he learned something new. That's why he stood in the training field they had created down here, because his grandfather had told him that they were going to begin something special today.

"So, what are we doing today Grandfather?" Asked Naruto, barely controlling the urge to bounce eagerly. Madara had never referred to anything as 'special' when telling him of a new thing to learn, so this must be really special if he would say that.

"You have been doing well in your nature transformation training, so as a treat, I'm going to teach you a jutsu that is very special to our clan. It's a special rite of passage, and once you've mastered it, you'll be considered a full Uchiha," Said Madara, with smirk. That really got Naruto's attention. Ever since he had learned that he was part of the Uchiha Clan, he had learned everything he could of their history and customs, so he knew right away what his grandfather was referring to. In fact, he had been bugging Madara to teach it to him ever since he had found out about the rite of passage.

Instantly a wide smile spread across Naruto's face, eyes wide with wonder Excitement began to well up inside him. "Really? You're going to teach me the Great Fireball Jutsu?" Asked Naruto excitedly.

"Yes, now come, I will show you how to perform it, then it is up to you to master. This is one jutsu you can't use your Sharingan to learn, it must be learned on your own." Replied Madara\ as he made his way over to the pond, walking out onto the traditional wooden bridge. The entire way, his steps were accompanied by the sound of his improvised cane tapping on stone, and then wood. Naruto followed him eagerly, standing next to him as he stopped at the middle of the bridge.

Madara dropped his cane. He stood at the center of the bridge. Turning to Naruto, he said, "When performing this technique, you must first knead the chakra inside your body, turning it into fire, and then perform the hand seals; and finally, release the fire through your mouth. Pay close attention."

Naruto nodded, and fixed his attention solely on his grandfather. Madara was performing the hand seals slowly, so that he could follow them, and Naruto did, committing each seal to memory.

Once all half dozen seals were performed, his Grandfathers chest puffed up. He brought his right hand to his mouth, forming a circle with the first two fingers and thumb. A massive orb of roaring flames fifteen feet in diameter issued forth, shooting out over the water and creating a circle on the surface. The liquid recoiling from the flames as steam hissed upwards in wispy tendrils. The flames continued for well over a minute, the constant roar filling the cave while Naruto looked at it in wonder. The flames, it was amazing. He could feel the heat licking his skin, even from his position behind his grandfather. Slowly the flames died down, and the water returned to its previously serene state.

Madara turned to him with a smirk. "Once you can sustain it at that size and intensity for a minute, I will consider it mastered." Said Madara. He stood back to allow Naruto to step up and try the technique.

Naruto was nervous as he stepped up to the side of the bridge. It wasn't until just then that he realized how important this was; both in regards to clan traditions and him personally. He really didn't want to screw up his first attempt at the jutsu in front of his grandfather, he didn't want to let him down.

Naruto closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he slowly reached inside himself to his sizable chakra reserves. Carefully, he focused it into his lungs, willing the chakra to start heating up and turn into fire. Finally he felt confident enough to begin the hand seals.

_Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse Tiger! _Thought Naruto as he methodically formed the hand seals. His chest puffed out, lungs expanding as he brought his hand to cup his lips.

**_Fire Style: Fireball_**_**Jutsu!**_He said mentally, determination surging forth. From Naruto's mouth issued a stream of orange flames, coalescing into a fireball that was four feet in diameter. The fire lasted for a short quarter of a minute, before tapering off and disappearing

Naruto looked at the place where his fire ball had been with a slightly disappointed expression. He had been hoping to make it at least a third of the size of his grandfathers, but it hadn't happened. That disappointment changed, when his grandfather spoke behind him.

"Hmm, very good for a first try. Keep working on it and you should have this mastered in no time. I think I'll go lie down for a bit while you work on this." Madara complimented him.

Naruto's heart lifted, and he beamed under his grandfathers praise.. Although Madara was supportive, and helped whenever he was having trouble—he didn't give praise lightly, only if he really deserved it. In Naruto's mind, that always made it even better, since he knew he wasn't just trying to boost his confidence.

Madara smiled gently and him. He ruffled his hair when he passed Naruto. Naruto shouted a halfhearted, "Hey!". The old Uchiha simply chuckled, continuing on his way into the house.

He paused, just as he was about to enter the house, turning to call back across the cavern; "Oh, and don't forget, I need to draw some blood from you again today. Be sure to preserve _some _energy."

Naruto huffed in annoyance. For reasons he refused to explain; he had been drawing Naruto's blood frequently. The only thing that he would say is that it was for a special project. The blond was dying to know what that was.

"Again? When are you going to tell me what all this mysterious blood drawing is about?" The only reply was a chuckle.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

A sigh escaped Naruto's lips when he walked into his classroom in the academy. He hated coming to class. It was a waste of time in his opinion. Ever since he had begun training with his grandfather, his skills had progressed well beyond what they were currently doing, which was mostly accuracy and chakra control. Not only was he well versed in the physical side, but also the history and theoretical aspect. So all in all, it was _extremely_ boring.

If the fact that the content of the lesson was far behind what he knew wasn't enough; it was made worse by the fact that he still had to maintain the image of the class 'dead-last'. Due to the suspicion that would befall him should he have a drastic increase in skills, Madara had told him to continue to act like the class 'dead-last'. Despite the fact that he didn't like it, Naruto went along with it, if only to set his grandfathers mind at ease. He had even begun to wear a transformation, to hide his physical features as the changes grew ever more drastic. The blue-eyed Uchiha had also swapped out his usual clothes he wore at home, for much more colorful clothes, a matching orange hoodie and pair of shorts.

With another sigh, Naruto cast his gaze across the room surreptitiously, looking for any changes in the environment—something Madara had drilled into him. Everything seemed normal, most of the students had already arrived and taken their seats.

He idly noticed indigo-haired Hinata Hyūga sat huddled in on herself anxiously in her seat in the back. Occasionally throwing glances his way with her pale eyes—something that was trademark of her clan—before looking away with her face reddening. He still couldn't figure out why she did that; and his grandfather was no help, he simply chuckled in amusement whenever Naruto brought it up. She seemed to be trying to disappear into her bulky tan jacket.

Naruto made his way to his seat next to Shikamaru, to wait for the rest of the class and the instructor to arrive. Shikamaru lifted his head up slightly, looking at him in boredom.

Shikamaru—the heir to the Nara clan—shared the defining traits of most of the men in his clan. They were all geniuses, and all of them were lazy as could be. It was rare to see Shikamaru's narrow brown eyes filled with anything but laziness or annoyance. His clothes seemed to reflect his attitude, as the only bright colors were the Nara Clan symbol on the front of his grey t-shirt, and the white bandages that strapped his kunai holster to his brown shorts.

Despite his usual attitude, a slight glint of amusement entered his eyes for a moment. "So, you actually showed up? Gonna try to beat Sasuki again?"

Unlike the others, Naruto got the feeling that Shikamaru knew that he was holding back. He was certain the Nara took pleasure in teasing him about the fact that he always had to let everyone else win.

Naruto gritted his teeth, forcing down the urge to throttle the lazy boy, before launching into his act for the day. "Just wait pineapple head, today's the day I'm gonna kick her ass! Ya hear that Sasuki?" said Naruto, directing the last bit at the Uchiha princess, in the row next to them, who had a pleasant an polite expression on her face.

Sasuki was the second child of his mothers friend Mikoto Uchiha, and she looked like the spitting image of her mother.

Her long raven colored hair was held up in a ponytail that left her bangs to frame her cheeks—which were still slightly chubby with baby fat—and her big onyx black eyes. Like most of her clan, she wore dark clothes, including a black Uchiha-style high-collar shirt with the clan symbol emblazoned on the back.

The girl glanced at him, before turning her gaze back towards the board, the pleasant expression never leaving her face, she replied, "Whatever you say, Uzumaki." On his right, Shikamaru shook his head at his outburst.

"Shouldn't you be embarrassed that your number one goal is to beat a _girl_? Even if she is the top student." Asked the Nara. Puffing his cheeks up, Naruto pretended to be angry for a few moments. He turned his head away with a 'humph'. In truth, one of the least favorite parts of his act was constantly picking fights with her, as she was actually very kind to him most of the time, despite how much he must have annoyed her. But, he had to keep up the image of a cocky idiot.

"Just you wait and see, today's the day!" Declared the blond. An amused voice then called out, from the front of the classroom.

"Is that so Naruto? Glad to hear it. You'll get your chance to prove it right away, because the first lesson—is target practice." The attention of all the students was drawn to the front of the class, where a very tan skinned man stood with an smile on his face.

"You bet Iruka-sensei, I'm going to beat her today, you'll see. I guarantee it, as future Hokage!" Said Naruto loudly. This drew a hail of jeers, as the rest of the class mocked the blond. Iruka threw Naruto a sympathetic look, as the insults began.

"Sure you will dead-last."

"Ya right, you can't even beat Shikamaru's lazy butt."

"No way are you gonna beat Sasuki!"

Finally, Iruka had enough. He used his patented Big Head Jutsu, to increase the size of his head. "ALRIGHT THATS ENOUGH, QUIET DOWN SO WE CAN BEGIN CLASS!" Yelled Iruka. Instantly the room fell into silence, as the children looked at him with comically wide eyes. As he calmed, Iruka's head reduced to its normal size, and when next he spoke, it was in his usual calm voice.

"Alright then, let's get right to it. Make sure you have your kunai and shuriken, then exit the room single file, and head to the target range outside." commanded the scar-faced man.

A shuffling arose as students followed the instructions, standing up to check their kunai and shuriken holsters. Naruto himself simply stood up, and began exiting the room. He made sure that he knew _exactly_ what equipment was on him at all times; so checking was pointless.

Not far behind him was Shikamaru, who muttered, "Man, why couldn't it've been history again—at least I can nap during that. This is such a drag.". Behind him, Chōji nodded sympathetically to his friends words, whereas Naruto withheld a snort. Yep, definitely no need to worry about Shikamaru telling people he was holding back. He'd find it too troublesome

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

After exiting the school building, the class lined up at the target range. They stood on a red line, that had been marked on the dusty ground of the training area. There was some chattering from the children, as they conversed in the brief pause before the practice began. Across from them, was a wall with many human-shaped wooden cutouts, with targets marked where the head, heart, and stomach were.

"Alright everybody, quiet down. We've done this before, so you should know what to do. Throw your kunai and shuriken until you're out, and then wait patiently. I will tell you when everyone is out, and then you'll retrieve your weapons, and we'll start again. I'm going to be watching and giving tips, so don't worry if you have trouble. Does everybody understand?"

The students replied as one, and a chorus of, "Yes Iruka-sensei", went up.

Smiling, the tan-skinned instructor stepped back behind the line. "Alright, start in three, two, one, GO!". As soon as the word 'go' left his mouth, the students immediately began to throw their weapons.

The sound of metal slicing through the air, and the solid—_thunk_—of the metal tools hitting wood resounded throughout the courtyard as students began throwing kunai and shuriken left and right.

Naruto reached into his hip pouch, and pulled out a handful of shuriken. Pretending to take careful aim; he let loose the projectiles, sending them careening towards the cutout. Just as he had planned all of them missed the bulls eyes. Of the four shuriken he threw, one ricocheted off the stone wall with a—_ching_— , two hit on the edge of the wood figure—nowhere near the targets—, and only one managed to hit inside the outer ring of one of the bulls-eye's.

"Nice try, but you're throwing them too hard Naruto, the secret is in the way you flick your wrist, not in your arm." said Iruka as he walked up behind the blond. Naruto looked at Iruka, squinting his eyes. He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I know that, that was just a warm up, just you wait—next time I'll definitely get all bulls-eyes!" replied Naruto, sticking to his overconfident persona. Iruka shook his head in exasperation with a sigh, before walking off to help other students.

Naruto looked back at the target dummy. _Looks like it's going to be another day of pretending to suck._

The class stayed outside for practice for another hour and a half. Over and over, they repeated the process of throwing their kunai and shuriken, and then retrieving them and beginning again upon Iruka's command. Throughout the session, Naruto made sure to glance at his fellow classmates—occasionally feigning frustration—to make sure he was doing the worst. Not once did he hit a bulls-eye, and he only improved marginally.

As he was doing this, he noted that in particular, Sasuki was doing very well. _Hmm, she rarely misses a bulls-eye . . . impressive, her accuracy might even rival mine. _He thought as he saw the ravenette hit another bulls-eye.

Finally, after an hour and a half of target practice, Iruka called a halt. "Alright everybody, that's enough for today. You can all go enjoy your lunches, but be back in the classroom for ninjutsu theory in an hour.". After saying this, Iruka himself began to meander off, on his way to eat his own lunch and hurry back to prepare the lesson.

An excited clamor arose. The children began to break off into groups, intent on enjoying their lunch. Naruto himself, stood there for a moment, collecting his shuriken. He had just managed to get the last three kunai when a cluster of male students passed by and he overheard what the lead one was saying.

"Man, did you see how bad the dead-last did, he could barely get ONE shuriken in the target. I can't believe that dummy thought he would do better than Sasuki." The boy and his friends all began laughing at the insult, while Naruto's hands gripped the three kunai tightly.

He tried to shake it off, and ignore it, he really did. But in the end, Naruto had to let off some steam. Naruto glanced back at his target dummy, and then quickly around to make sure no one was watching. A flick of his wrist sent the three kunai in his hand whistling through the air. Each one embedded themselves into the wood with a solid and resounding—_THUNK_—burying themselves nearly to the hilt directly in the center of the bulls-eye.

"Idiots . . . if only they knew how much effort it takes to be worse than _them_." muttered Naruto, as he walked away without even glancing back. If he had, he might have noticed a pair of large onyx eyes fix on him, their owner unsure of what had just occurred.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

While the rest of the kids began to trickle out of the training field, Sasuki decided to stay behind for a bit of extra practice. The Uchiha princess knew she was far beyond the rest in skills, but she still wasn't anywhere near her brother, or even her mother, in skills.

Sasuki especially wanted to reach her mother's level of skill. She was one of the few Uchiha females to become a ninja, as well as being one of the fewer still to attain the rank of jōnin. On top of that, she was the only woman of her generation to have awakened the Sharingan; and Sasuki wanted to be just like her.

Just as she was about to begin to throw her projectiles, she heard a mocking jeer drift across the training field, the source being a group of boys—primarily composed of ones that had crushes on her.

"Man, did you see how bad that dead-last did, he could barely get ONE shuriken in the target. I can't believe that dummy thought he would do better than Sasuki."

Sasuki had to roll her eyes at this. Honestly, she found those boys obnoxious, and annoying. While they derided Naruto's skills; theirs weren't much better. The Uchiha girl actually felt sort of bad for the blond. Every time he tried to succeed, he would fail.

Shaking her head—her ponytail swaying from the motion—she was halted once more, this time by three solid and unmistakable thunking sounds. She snapped her gaze to the source. There were three kunai embedded deeply in one of the wooden cutouts, each one directly at the center of one of the bulls-eyes.

_Where did those come from? _wondered the Uchiha princess. Her gaze swept the training field in confusion, finally locking on the back of a spiky-haired blond boy, wearing an orange sleeveless hoodie.

_Naruto? D-did he do that? But how?_ She wondered. She followed his departure intently. Sasuki stood there a moment, lost in thought. Finally, she shook her head, resolving to look into it later; before turning her gaze to the target in front of her.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Sasuki let loose a relieved sigh when she exited the academy for the day. The rest of the day had seemed to drag by slowly, after the strange occurrence on the target range. Her mind had been on that, and she had been distracted for the rest of the days lessons.

Looking towards the exit of the courtyard, elation flooded through her. Her brother was leaning against the fence. Smiling widely, she rushed across the courtyard to meet him.

"Big Brother, what're you doing here?" Sasuki barreled into her brother, giving him a hug around the middle. Itachi chuckled at her actions. He ruffled her hair lightly. Sasuki slapped his hand away. She began to pout when he acted as if it was no big deal.

"What, I can't come pick you up from class?" He asked teasingly. Itachi took her by the hand, and the two began to walk through the village.

They walked in silence for a while, until finally Itachi broke it. "So, how did the academy go today, did anything interesting happen?" Sasuki almost tripped over her feet. His question reminded her of what happened with Naruto. When she didn't immediately respond, her brother looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, so something did happen?" He asked.

"Maybe, not necessarily. It was just strange." She bit her lip in hesitation. She wasn't sure if she wanted to tell him. "You know that kid, Naruto?" Itachi nodded. Sasuki quickly told him about what she had seen, shaking her head in confusion in the end. It was hard for her to wrap her head around the idea of Naruto being so skilled.

"I don't know what to think. The way they hit the target was like he had done it a thousand times, but he always does so bad in class. It just doesn't make sense. What do you think?"

Itachi stayed silent for a moment, seemingly in deep contemplation. Finally he turned to her with a teasing grin. "It sounds like he interests you—does my little sister have a crush?".

Sasuki felt her face heat up, at his words. She didn't have a crush on Naruto, but the insinuation was embarrassing. Her cheeks puffed up in anger and she smacked Itachi's arm with her fist as hard as she good. Unfortunately, if he felt anything, he didn't show it. He didn't even flinch.

"I don't have a crush on him Itachi!" She protested. "Come on, let's get home already." Sasuki growled, attempting to haul her brother behind her. In so doing, she missed the melancholy look of longing he gave her.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

**—****Two Weeks Later — **

A large ball of flames roared over the pond, the heat causing the water to be pushed outwards beneath the fireball. Slowly the gout of fire began to reduce, dispersing into wisps of flames and revealing a slightly tired Naruto standing on the bridge breathing deeply. There were a few burn marks around his face, but it didn't stop him from breaking out into a wide grin. He had finally completed his families rite of passage; and mastered the Great Fireball Jutsu.

Behind him, his grandfather clapped softly at the achievement. When Naruto turned to look at him, he saw that Madara was giving him a smile.

"Very good Naruto, you're finally an full Uchiha. Now come, I think it's time you finally learn why I have been taking your blood recently." Said Madara. He turned to begin walking back across the cave. Naruto hurried to follow his grandfather. He was filled with excitement about finally getting an answer to his questions about the mysterious blood drawing.

The elder Uchiha led his grandson across the smooth floor of the cave, and into a narrow tunnel. Naruto's head cocked to the side in confusion as they entered the tunnel. _This is the way to the forge . . _He realized. Inside, shadows encroached them from all sides, threatening to swallow the narrow passage in darkness, and only being kept at bay by the candles placed along the wall. A red glow emanated from the end of the tunnel, and it seemed to grow hotter and hotter the farther in they got.

The forge was the place where they made their own weapons and tools, including kunai and shuriken. Every weapon they made was of better quality than the average weapon in a shinobi store; especially the mass-produced kunai and shuriken most ninja bought.

When they entered the forge, a wall of stifling heat seemed to slam into them. The source wasn't hard to find. At the center of the room, a clay tub furnace had been erected that was four feet high, ten feet long, and three feet wide. There was a row of air inlets poked into the bottom edge, and inside an intense fire burned at a temperature of over eighteen hundred degrees Fahrenheit. A set of steps lead up to the top of the furnace to give easier access to place materials inside. At each corner of the room, large square holes had been burrowed into the rock, serving as chimneys up to the surface, to carry the smoke and allow for a small amount of airflow.

Looking around, Naruto immediately noticed the enormous pile of iron sand at the far end of the room, with a pile of charcoal opposite it. Propped against the wall were various tools for forging, including shovels, hammers, and tongs. Why was there so much? With that amount of sand, you could make hundreds of kunai.

Turning to his grandfather in confusion, Naruto asked, "Why did you have a fire stoked for forging. What's it have to do with you drawing my blood."

In answer to the question, his grandfather made his way over to the wall across from the entrance, where light shone down from one of the chimney's. Pinned on the wall was a large sheet of paper with calculations and diagrams scrolled across its large face in tiny script. Calculations, for a sword.

"This, is the reason I have been drawing blood from you. You see there are many different ways that the Magnet Release can be used, from the metal dust manipulation method used by your grand-uncle, and the Yondaime Kazekage, to the weapon manipulation your grandmother preferred." Madara motioned for Naruto to come closer.

Moving over to examine the blueprints, Naruto said, "I still don't get what that has to do with my blood, or even that sword.". The moment he was in range, he received a bonk on the head from his grandfather, who muttered about 'impatience'. Naruto rubbed his head gingerly.

"I was just about to explain that. I believe, your method was revealed when you killed those ROOT agents. You instinctually turned the weapons into shards of metal. Now if you were to continue this you would need to carry around weapons in seals, like your grandmother, expending time and energy to release them, and then turn them into shards; and that is where this sword comes in." said Madara. He motioned to the schematics on the wall.

"Using my abilities, we will create a blade that shall only work for you, one with your blood and Jiton chakra imbued into it, and sealed into every fold." His grandfather went on to explain the process in detail, including the mechanics. Naruto paid rapt attention, growing more and more excited every second.

Finally, after every detail was explained, Madara turned to the tools, handing a shovel to Naruto while selecting one for himself.

"We'll begin making the Tamahagane immediately." stated the former clan head, as he began to shovel iron sand into the furnace. Soon, charcoal followed it, as the smelting process began. Ten minutes later, the two Uchiha stood near the entrance sweating. His grandfather wiped his brow after making three wood clones to tend the smelting process, before turning to him. "My clones can do most of the work, but I want you to help on weekends to make the blade."

The smelting process of the Tamahagane would take about three days, and the fire would need to be tended constantly. Every ten minutes, another shovel of sand would be tossed in. From there, it would take another four to six months to forge the actual blade.

Naruto couldn't help but feel a shiver of excitement shoot through him. He knew this blade would be something special, and he couldn't wait to see it finished.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

**Chapter End**

**AN/ Okay, so it's been a really really really long time since I updated. Sorry about that, but I had to focus on some other stuff in my life and then school rolled around and it was really time consuming this term. I don't expect for there to be another stretch of time that long again. **

**As you may notice, this chapter is way shorter than most of my previous ones, that's for two reasons. First, originally I was going to have this include the Uchiha massacre, but I decided instead to have a whole chapter leading up to it, mostly from Sasuki and Itachi's perspective. Second, I've decided recently to scale back on the word count for my chapters. Hopefully this will allow me to have a higher turnover rate for them even with school, but I can't make any promises. **

**Just so you know, I have a poll up on my profile, feel free to check it out.**

**So, be sure to review, tell me how I did, what worked and didn't. Just don't flame, they will be ignored.**

**See you next chapter.**

**Until then,**

**RinneTaicho Signing Off.**

**—****Edit 4-19-15—**

**AN/ So okay, there's the third chapter of edits.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Naruto: Uchiha Chronicles**

**AN/ Ok, back for chapter 4. This is the second to last chapter of this arc, and then we're into canon time. This time we'll see the last two weeks before the Uchiha massacre in the Uchiha household. **

**Don't forget to leave your review and guess for the second girl being paired with Naruto, you might win the chance to pick a girl to be paired with Naruto in an upcoming fic.**

**Oh, and a special thanks and shout out to ****gmilena123****, who gave me the suggestion for the scene with Itachi and Madara, its much better than what I had originally planned.**

**Now, on with the chapter.**

**EDIT 4-21-15: **

**Okay, so this is the fourth chapter I'm editing. I don't think there will be much change in this chapter, but never know.**

Normal speech: "what"

Extremely loud group/single person shouting: "WHAT!"

Thoughts/Speech taken out of context:_ 'what'_

Letter/Book/Written text: '_What'_

Demon/Summon speech: **"what"**

Demon/Summon thoughts: **_'what'_**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or Bleach, that honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Tite Kubo respectively.

**Arc I: The Origin:**

**Chapter 4: Massacre, Blood on the Leaves!**

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

A strong aroma of tomatoes permeated the air in the Uchiha household as Sasuki and Itachi entered their home. The smell crept into Sasuki's nose, causing a wide grin to break out on her face, and her mouth to begin watering. She followed her nose towards the source, her nose being beckoned by the enticing scent. It was unmistakable, the smell of her mother fresh baked tomato bread!

"It seems Mother's made your favorite tonight." Commented Itachi at her side. She only nodded her head vacantly. Right now, Sasuki's senses were focused solely on the heavenly aroma of her mother's cooking. The siblings entered the kitchen and were greeted by the sight of their mother putting the finishing touches on their dinner. When she heard them, Mikoto turned to the two with a smile, which Sasuki returned with a wide grin.

"Welcome home you two. You arrived just in time. Go ahead and sit down, I'll have dinner ready in just a minute." Greeted Mikoto.

"Sure thing Mom." Replied Sasuki. She marched towards the table to sit down and wait for her meal.

So absorbed in thoughts of the meal, was she, that she missed how Itachi's demeanor had changed when he entered the room their mother was in. The elder Uchiha's face had returned to it's usually stoic mask, and though he offered a small small and a nod to their mother, there was a tension in the air as they looked at each other. For a moment an unreadable emotion flickered across Mikoto's face, before the tension was broken by Sasuki calling out from the table.

"Hey Itachi, are you going to come sit down or what?" Asked the impatient eight year old. Sasuki huffed. Was she the only one that couldn't wait for dinner? Itachi was in Anbu, he should be even more famished than her.

"I'll be right there." She heard Itachi call. And just like that things were back to normal, as both Uchiha children sat down at the table. The meal was soon laid out and the three were gathered together around the low rectangular table with their legs folded in front of them. Sasuki looked around in confusion for a moment. SHe only just noticed the absence of her father.

"Hey Mother, where's father?"

Mikoto gave a tight smile, looking sadly at the her. Sasuki's heart sunk. She knew what was going to be said before it was even said. "Sorry, but he won't be able to make it. He had to go on a mission for the clan at the last minute" Answered the her mother. There was an awkward moment of silence after the statement. This had been happening a lot lately, and Sasuki noticed it often put a damper on meals.

"So, how were your days?" Asked Mikoto as she began to ladle out the food onto their plates. "Did you have any trouble in Anbu or the academy?"

Itachi took a sip of tea before he answered. "My day was fine. It was just a simple patrol."

"And what about yours Sasuki?"

The girl took a moment to register the question. She had just been in the middle of inhaling her first piece of tomato bread. She took a moment to gulp the tasty morsel down, and replied, "Oh it was normal, just some target practice and ninjutsu theory." She was going to go back to her dinner when Itachi spoke again, a hint of teasing in his tone.

"What, not going to mention your new crush?" Sasuki began to blush and she leveled a glare at her brother. Hopefully her mom would ignore it.

She groaned when she saw her mother quirk an eyebrow. "New crush?" She turned to her in curiosity, a strange gleam entering her eyes. For some reason that she couldn't quite place, Sasuki felt a shiver of fear at the look in her mother's eyes. It was almost hungry. "My little Suki has a crush? Who is it? What's he like?" The Uchiha mothers plate lay forgotten. Sasuki had her full attention, much to her chagrin.

Sasuki huffed. "Don't call me that mom! I'm a kunoichi in training, I can't have cute nicknames!" She'd been trying to get her mother to drop that nickname ever since she had begun that year at the academy. No such luck.

"Not a chance young lady, and don't change the subject, spill!" Mikoto looked at her daughter expectantly, drawing a growl from the young girl.

"There's nothing to tell, I don't have a a crush!" The little ravenette directed a withering glare at Itachi, who was eating his food with an innocent expression. "Like I told Big Brother, it's not a crush. I just saw a boy in class do something weird today."

"Oh, so just something weird? Why won't you tell me what happened then?" Asked Mikoto with a giggle. Obviously she didn't quite believe her.

Sasuki groaned in annoyance. First her brother and now her mother. _Not her too! Why won't anyone believe me that I don't have a crush!_

"Fine, if you _have_ to know!" Sasuki relented as she explained how to her mother how she had stayed back to practice and overheard the boys making fun of him. After she had mentioned the fact that she was certain he had hit three perfect bulls-eyes with ease when he thought no-one was watching, Mikoto actually seemed intrigued.

"Three perfect bulls-eyes? All at once?" Mikoto's eyebrows rose as she saw her daughter nod.

"See! I told you it was weird!"

Mikoto gave her daughter a placating smile, before turning back to her food. Both her children did the same. Just as Sasuki had torn into another piece of tomato bread, she said something that made Sasuki choke on her bread.

"So if you don't have a crush on the boy, how come this isn't the first time you've mentioned him?"

"MOTHER!"

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

The streets of Konoha passed by swiftly beneath Itachi. A chill filled the mid-November air, but it didn't bother him. He had been trained not to be bothered by such little things as a slight chill. Despite the chill, the sun still shone down pleasantly, and the inhabitants of the village went happily about their lives. Just a normal, happy day within the village.

It was the exact opposite of how Itachi himself was feeling. His now impending mission to squash the coup of his clan was bringing a great deal of stress and guilt to the young Anbu.

He needed a distraction from it, which was why he was now headed towards the academy. Sasuki's observation yesterday had given him the perfect excuse to focus on something else for a bit, before he had to begin planning his mission. At first, he had simply thought that it was interesting that the jinchūriki was more intelligent than he seemed. But after thinking on it, he had realized that what she had said yesterday warranted looking into. If it were any other child, he might have ignored it. But it wasn't. For some reason the Kyūbi jinchūriki had hidden his skills from everyone, and put on such a good acting job that it had fooled everyone. The most disturbing part was the description of Naruto's switch in personality. It reminded him eerily of the followers of a certain war-hawk.

An image flashed through his mind, of a sharingan in the shape of a four pointed shuriken. A rare shiver passed down his back. _Shisui . . if he's managed to gain control of him using Shisui's eye, then Lord Hokage needs to know._

With a burst of speed Itachi continued forward. Only a few minutes later he alighted upon the rooftop of the building across from Naruto's apartment. Without a sound he settled himself into a crouch to prepare to stake out the young jinchūriki.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Dark grey clouds roiled over Konoha. A heavy rain spilled from them, drenching the village. All over water was running from gutters and drains, creating a constant sound of rushing water to accompany the sound of heavy rain drops falling like pellets on the ground. A flash of lightning raced across the sky, with a crash of thunder chasing behind it.

Itachi Uchiha found himself crouched on top of a roof as the rain poured down on him without pause. Currently the only thing keeping him from being freezing cold was the fire chakra he was circulated throughout his body. His clothes clung heavily to his frame do to how soaked they were.

The rain created a constant and almost deafening pitter patter on the roof around him, though he didn't pay it any mind. His sole focus was the square of light on the side of the building that marked Naruto's apartment. So far, he hadn't seen a single thing out of the ordinary since he began his surveillance. Naruto appeared to be just as all the reports he had read said he was. A loud child who wished for attention in any way he could get it, who did poorly in every class he had despite trying hard, and an obsession for ramen.

The window he was staring at showed a view of the front room of Naruto's apartment, in particular, the front door. If the blond were to attempt to leave, he would know. Not for the first time Itachi found himself wondering whether he was wasting his time observing the blond.

_It's been nearly a week now. _With a sigh, Itachi took his eyes off the window for a moment as he considered his options. _I need to begin planning for my mission. If I don't see anything today, I'm going to give this up. _The young Anbu member almost scoffed at the idea of finding anything that day. With the weather, it was unlikely Naruto would go anywhere.

Itachi's gaze flicked back onto the window. It was a good thing that he did. At the exact moment the Uchiha prodigy returned his focus to the window, a shadow flitted across the wall of the apartment. Naruto himself walked into view of the window a second later and proceeded to leave the apartment, locking the front door behind him.

_He's actually going somewhere in this weather?_ Itachi thought in puzzlement. He waited patiently for Naruto to appear at the street entrance to the apartment. The only problem was that he didn't. At first he simply thought that Naruto was simply taking a long time to walk down the stairs; but when seconds stretched into minutes, and when minutes became a quarter of an hour, Itachi realized something was wrong.

_Swish_

Itachi disappeared in a swirl of leaves. He reappeared a moment later at the entrance to Naruto's apartment complex and looked around himself carefully. Itachi sent chakra to his eyes. The black pools bled into the scarlet of the sharingan as he went on alert for anything amiss.

Itachi had his ears pricked for any strange sounds, blocking out the strangely soothing sounds of heavy rain pitter-pattering on roof of the quiet apartment building. Occasionally a flash of lightning would add to the flickering light quality of the chilly open hallways, soon to be followed by a crash of thunder.

For a while his search turned up nothing. The hallways were empty, all the occupants preferring to stay inside and out of the dreadful weather. It wasn't until he began to descend the stairs to the laundry room that Itachi found something.

_CHUKA CHUKA _

The sound of one of the machines running reverberated off of the cold grey concrete walls of the room. Overhead a single dull yellow light flickered, providing a dim wavering light to see. Despite the poor light quality Itachi's eyes immediately picked up on something off about the room. But he couldn't place his finger on it.

Itachi made his way cautiously into the room. His finely tuned senses from being in Anbu told him there was more to this room than met the eye. The Uchiha prodigy examined the room from top to bottom. Yet he found nothing. _There seems to be nothing here . . better move on._ He still couldn't shake that feeling, like an annoying hum in the back of his mind.

_whooosh . . . _

The Anbu member stiffened when a small gust of air hit his exposed toes from below. He looked down and began to stare intently at the section of the floor he was standing on. His enhanced vision allowed him to see faint lines etched into the stone floor.

_A secret entrance?_ Itachi crouched down beside the small section of floor and began to inspect it. Upon closer examination, he found a small string of ninja wire, presumably to lift the section._ I've seen this before . . . but where?_

With the wire in his grasp, Itachi began to weigh his options. There was a chance it was booby trapped, but he was also certain this was where Naruto had disappeared to. If he wanted to find out what the young jinchūriki was hiding, he would have to follow him. In the end, there really was no choice. He had committed himself to unraveling the puzzle of Naruto Uzumaki, so he _had_ to follow.

Itachi unconciously held his breath as he gave a gentle tug to the wire. The stone lid parted smoothly with the floor, landing on the ground with a dull slap. For a tense moment, Itachi waited for an explosion to go off, or for a plume of poisonous gas to erupt. But there was nothing. Just a dark gaping pit with a small ladder disappearing into the darkness.

_Well . . . there's no time like the present. _With a steadying breath to calm his nerves Itachi began to descend into the darkness.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

"Grandfather, I'm home!" Naruto's excited voice echoed throughout the hidden grotto in which he and his grandfather made their home. In the background, the distant ringing of metal on metal could be heard from the clones of his grandfather working on his sword.

Naruto heard inside the simple two story house. The next moment the door slid open to reveal his smiling grandfather leaning on his cane. A happy grin spread across Naruto's face as he raced to meet his grandfather, tackling the ancient Uchiha around the middle in a hug.

"Oof" Madara chuckled good naturedly as the Naruto tackled him around the middle. The small black and blonde haired boy felt his grandfathers arms envelope him in a warm hug.

"It's good to see you too. Tell me, why didn't you come back last night?" Asked Madara as they separated. Naruto chuckled nervously. He felt his face heat up slightly in embarrassment.

"Hehe, sorry Grandfather. I over did the physical training yesterday. I was too tired to make it through the tunnel." He explained. Although Naruto preferred to make it to the grotto as much as possible, sometimes he had to stay back, either to protect the secret or because he was too tired. The grotto had become his true home, it was the first place he had family.

The young Uchiha pouted when his grandfather chuckled in amusement at his embarrassment, only furthering it when he ruffled his hair.

"Go ahead and make a few clones to help with making the blade. Today you'll be working on chakra control." Naruto groaned. Shape transformation and chakra control were hard. Because of the size of his reserves, he had trouble with those subjects.

He was about to complain when—_BONK_

"Ouch!"

Naruto winced and rubbed his head. His grandfather had wacked him on the head with his cane again. When he finally stopped rubbing the smarting lump, he shot a dirty look at his grandfather, which was met with a stern glare.

"Don't give me that look, Naruto. Your reserves have been increasing once more, so you need to improve your control even further. You are an Uchiha, control and jutsu come naturally, but you must still work to attain them, especially with your Uzumaki genes." Naruto withered under the stern lecture. He knew his grandfather was right. With a sigh, he placed his hands in a cross shaped seal and began to build his chakra.

_POOF_

All around the cave smoke erupted in thick white plumes. There was so much it seemed like one solid cloud, almost the same size as that issued after a large summoning. After a few moments the smoke began to recede into wispy tendrils, revealing dozens of Naruto's across the cavern.

"You know the drill, twenty to each exercise." Naruto instructed them in a flat tone, resigned to the tedious training. Oh how he wished he would be learning a cool jutsu today.

With a sigh, Naruto turned towards the house. "I suppose I'll go see if I can get the fox to talk to me." Without waiting for a reply he walked into the house, intent on meeting his tenant.

Had he looked at his grandfather, he would have seen the sudden narrowing of his eyes as he sensed something that Naruto couldn't.

"Yes, that's a good idea." He replied idly.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Naruto sat in a lotus position in his room. His breathing was carefully regulated. Slowly, all sound bled away. The world around him ceased to exist as he willed himself to appear inside his seal.

_Drip . . . _

_Drip . . ._

_Drip . . ._

He opened his eyes to the familiar sight of the physical representation of his seal. Up ahead he could see the entrance to the room that housed the Kyūbi. Wordlessly he got to his feet and began to walk towards it. The wet slap of his sandals on the water reverberated off the narrow halls.

**"Grrr, I see you're back again, foolish human." **

"Yes, I figured I'd come see how you're doing. You must get lonely in here. I figured maybe you'd finally want to talk." The fox snorted in derision at the blonds statement. Behind the bars of its cage, its head lay on its crossed arms, the picture of boredom.

**"You expect me, the mighty Kyūbi, to lower myself to speak to a ****_human_**** to pass the time? Worse yet, an Uchiha, the grandson of that bastard Madara."** The fox growled. Naruto didn't react to the insulting words. Instead he opted to sit down on the water calmly, and simply look at the Kyūbi.

"Well I figured that its better than just being alone in here."

The Kyūbi didn't answer, it simply closed its eyes and tried to sleep. Naruto tried to engage the fox in conversation, telling it about his day, his training, what he was planning on having for dinner. He got no reply. It stubbornly stuck to its declaration of not speaking to him. Naruto found himself having to resist sighing in frustration at the foxes continued stubbornness. _Perhaps I should try a different approach._

"We should at least come to some sort of agreement. Like it or not, we're stuck together, and the man that removed you from my mother is still out there. He _will _come for you again. We'll need to work together to be able to stop him, because this time, he won't simply let you get sealed."

As soon as the last sentence had left his mouth, the room became bathed in the Kyūbi's killing intent. The mighty beast shot to its feet and fixed Naruto with a deadly glare. A snarled ripped from its muzzle. A shiver of fear shot down the Uchiha's back, and his breath caught in his lungs. Adrenaline began to flow through his body as the primal fear the beasts rage invoked triggered his fight or flight response.

**"You think I need you ****_boy_****? I don't! If that man comes for me again I will tear through this seal and crush you beneath my heel, then I will find a way to rip that monkey eye from his skull and obliterate him!"**

Slowly the killing intent disappeared, and the Kyūbi lay back down to sleep. It took a moment for the adrenaline to settle down in Naruto, but when it did, he gave a weary sigh. It seemed that he had messed up. Knowing that there wasn't anything else he could do that day, he began to walk towards the exit.

In the silence that followed the Kyūbi's rage, the splash of his sandals filled the entire room. He had almost reached the door before he paused, and spoke to the fox without looking back.

"You know, we don't have to be enemies. Like I said earlier, we're stuck together. We should make the most of it." He wasn't expecting a reply. Thus, he was surprised the foxes voice from behind him made him pause. Kyūbi had cracked an eye open to stare at the blonds back in puzzlement.

**"Why do you try so hard to get me to speak with you boy? Do you not hate me? After all, I was the one that killed you're parents."**

Naruto stopped his exit, glancing over his shoulder at Kyūbi. Perhaps he _did_ have a chance to make progress.

"No, I don't hate you. You were simply trying to avoid being locked up again, I probably would have done the same in your position." The Kyūbi seemed stunned by his answer, though it was shocked even more by what followed after. "As for why I try hard to get you to speak to me, it's because I know how you've been treated in the past. You've been hated and hating in return for so long that hate has become all you know. I want to change that."

With that last declaration, Naruto pivoted on his heel and began to walk towards the entrance once more. He had just reached the archway that lead into the darkened corridor, when the Kyūbi spoke from behind him.

**"You're a fool, Naruto."**

The blond Uchiha couldn't help the grin that stretched his chubby face. He had finally made progress.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Itachi's stared at the scene in the cavern with surprise. When he had followed the blonds secret tunnel, he had expected to discover something about the blond. He had half expected it to lead to the ROOT facility. But it didn't.

There was an old man with a cane alright, but it wasn't Danzō. This old man looked even older than him _or_ the Hokage, almost like a living mummy. His thin white hair cascaded down the front of the simple black robe he wore, framing sharp black eyes that he could swear were looking at him. The truly shocking part was the troop of Naruto's all around him. Although these ones wore the same clothes, they were different than the blond he was used to. They had strands of black in their hair, and were taller and more muscular than the blond. All of them were performing remarkably advanced exercises.

_He does have a secret teacher . . . _Itachi gazed intently at the old man, while trying to stay undetectable._ Do I risk getting closer to learn more?_

He agonized over the decision, trying to pick between learning more and informing the Hokage. Unfortunately, the choice was taken out of his hands as the old man's voice, cracked with age, echoed across the cavern.

"You can come out now, I know you're there."

The young Anbu froze, shock and confusion ruling his brain and his heart skipped a beat. How had he been spotted? Was he sloppy, or was the old man just very good? Itachi considered turning and running, but his curiosity got the best of him. He stepped out of the tunnel, and began to cautiously approach the old man. Around him, the clones looked at him in shock, fear, and confusion. The whispered hisses of their conversations seemed to follow him.

Whereas the clones seemed confused, when he met the eyes of the old man, he seemed interested. A strange glint entered his eyes at the sight of the animal mask and pair of Sharingan eyes.

"Ah, one of the little monkeys personal shinobi. And an Uchiha no less. I suppose it was only a matter of time before one of you caught on." Far from appearing concerned, it was almost like the man had been expecting this. Not to mention the way the man noted him as being an Uchiha set Itachi on edge.

"Who are you? Why have you been training Naruto Uzumaki?" Asked Itachi. He had exposed himself, so he might as well get some answers. Far from being intimidated by the serious tone Itachi held, the old man seemed to amused.

"Who am I? That's a difficult one to answer. You probably won't believe me." Answered the man.

"I'd like an answer none the less."

The old man seemed to consider his demand.

"As you wish. I am a dead man." The man seemed to take pleasure in the frustration that was evident in the stiffening of Itachi's shoulders. "At least, that is what people believe. You see, I am the founder of your clan in this village, I am Madara Uchiha."

Itachi recoiled in shock at the statement. Madara? But what of the masked man? Had he been lying . . . or was the old man lying? Itachi narrowed his eyes in suspicion behind the cat mask.

"You expect me to believe you are Madara? Even if I were to believe you, why would you be training Naruto?"

"Believe it or not, it will not change the fact that I _am_. As for why I'm training Naruto, the answer is simple." Madara paused to activate his sharingan. "He is my grandson, and I wish for him to have the childhood I could not provide his father with."

Itachi was stunned. No he was beyond that, he couldn't even process what had been said. The words Madara, Naruto, and grandson kept repeating in his mind as he tried to come to terms with the earth shattering statement. He was shaken from his shocked stupor by Madara's next words.

"Now, if you wish I will tell you all you need to know. In return, I would ask that you deliver a message to Sarutobi for me." Said Madara.

It took a moment for Itachi to consider the offer. Dare he take it? Really, he had nothing to lose. In the end, whether Madara was lying or he wasn't, he would still report it to the Hokage.

He gave a sharp nod to the ancient Uchiha, signaling his assent.

"Very well . . ." Madara began to tell his story Itachi. For what seemed like hours they sat, as he recounted of meeting his wife, and having their son. Madara told him of the years he spent searching for his son, and eventually finding him only to be too late. When the entire story was told, Itachi was left in contemplative silence.

With a quick reassurance to Madara that he would remember to tell the Hokage of his wish to meet, Itachi left the cave with many thoughts on his mind. But now that he had finally solved the mystery of Naruto, there was only one at the forefront.

_It's time to begin the final preparation . . . my mission begins in nine days . . ._

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

**Chapter End**

**AN/ Ok, there's chapter four. Now we're really beginning to gain momentum towards the end of the arc, just one chapter left. **

**So, just want to remind everyone of the competition, make sure to get your guess in in your review, for who will be the second girl paired with Naruto. A clue might be dropped in the next chapter. **

**Next time, we have the fallout. Itachi tells Hiruzen about the massacre, and of Naruto's hidden skills. Meanwhile, Madara feels his age catching up to him. What will happen with Hiruzen now knowing Naruto is keeping secrets? What will Madara do now that he's feeling his age? Find out in the next chapter of Naruto: Uchiha Chronicles,**

**Chapter 5: Naruto Begins!**

**Remember to review, I like to hear what worked well and what didn't, also happy to answer questions. Flames will be ignored. **

**Once again, a shout out to ****gmilena123****for the idea of how Itachi found out what was going on with Naruto.**

**Well, that's all for now, see you next chapter.**

**Until then,**

**RinneTaicho, Signing Off!**

**EDIT 4-23-15: Well, another chapter of editing bites the dust.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Naruto: Uchiha Chronicles**

**AN/ Hey yo, so what's up? RinneTaicho, here with chapter 5, and the last chapter of the Origins Arc. As I said last time, this will be the fallout from last chapter, and the wrap-up of this arc and the 'prologue' if you will.**

**Once again, I'd like to remind people of the competition, don't forget to give your guess of who the second girl paired with Naruto will be. There might be a hint in this chapter. **

**I'd also like to draw attention to the poll up on my profile. It's still viable, as it pertains to whatever my next fic might be, it's sort of a toss-up right now. **

**I'd also like to take a poll in the reviews(I'll tally the results myself), to help decide once and for all what to do with the pairing. At this point, I can always change my plans to pair the mystery girl with someone else(I'll still let the person who guesses her identity to pick the pairing in one of my next fics). The options are: A, stick with the double pairing; or B, make it a single pairing and have the second girl paired with someone else.**

**I'll stop the poll at the at the beginning of the wave arc. So make sure to leave your vote, along with your guess of the girl in your reviews.**

**Anyways, sit back, enjoy the chapter, and make sure to review, I really like to know what worked and what didn't, it helps to constantly improve my writing.**

**Now, on with the chapter!**

**EDIT 4-23-15: Alright, this is the second to last chapter I'm editing. Almost there, I hope old and new readers will like the improvements.**

Normal speech: "what"

Extremely loud group/single person shouting: "WHAT!"

Thoughts/Speech taken out of context:_ 'what'_

Letter/Book/Written text: '_What'_

Demon/Summon speech: **"what"**

Demon/Summon thoughts: **_'what'_**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or Bleach, that honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Tite Kubo respectively.

**Arc I: The Origin:**

**Chapter 5: The Fallout, Naruto Begins!**

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

It was a surprisingly bright and sunny day in Konoha considering the dark events of the past forty-eight hours. A slight breeze swept over Sarutobi. He stood on the rooftop of the Hokage Tower. His white and red robes provided protection from the winter chill.

Far down below, in the schoolyard, the younger academy students were enjoying their lunch hour, running around and playing with each other, blissfully unaware of the tension in the village. It managed to bring a smile to his face in spite of the terrible massacre of more than a day previous. _Ah . . innocence it is truly a wonderful thing._

_Swish_—Hiruzen didn't react to the sound of displaced wind and the rustling of cloth. "I see you've finally decided to approach me," Said Hiruzen, taking a drag on his pipe. "I was beginning to wonder if you would work up the courage to reveal yourself, Itachi."

Hiruzen finally turned around to see Itachi there kneeling before him with his head bowed penitently. His grey Anbu vest was stained with dried blood. The smell of rusted iron reached Hiruzen's nose.

" . . . My mission is complete Lord Third. The Uchiha coup has been suppressed, there will be no civil war." Itachi finally looked up at him. Though Itachi tried to hide it, Hiruzen could see the pain in his eyes.

Hiruzen felt guilt gnaw at his stomach as he looked at the pain in Itachi's eyes. Pain he knew was due to the mission he had been forced to carry out by Danzō. His throat tightened from his sadness, and a couple unshed tears shimmered in his eyes. _I should have listened to Guy when he tried to tell me what being in Anbu could do to people like Kakashi and Itachi . . _The old Hokage closed his eyes, and took a drag from his pipe. He forced down his emotions. Right now was not the time to wallow over past mistakes.

"Lord Hokage, I did not just come before you to report my mission a success. I also come bearing a request, and important news." Hiruzen's eyebrows rose slightly. The request he could guess easy enough, but Itachi bringing news was unexpected. "The request is about my sister, and the news, is about Naruto Uzumaki." Curiosity turned to intense focus. Hiruzen looked at Itachi with a narrowed gaze.

"Very well, I'll hear your request first."

Itachi surprised Hiruzen by bowing down before him, with his forehead touching the ground. "Please Lord Hokage, look after and protect Sasuki, and ensure she doesn't learn the truth of what happened that night. I fear that she might turn on the village, and get herself killed." Pleaded Itachi, giving a rare show of emotion. Hiruzen nodded. That was easy enough, considering what Itachi had given up. It touched him that the boy cared for only his sister, in such a time of pain.

"Please, Itachi, stand up. You do not need to bow to me." Itachi raised his head, his onyx black eyes looking into the sympathetic eyes of the Hokage. Slowly, he got to his feet, drawing a small sad smile from the Hokage. "You have my word, Sasuki will be safe. She will not know of what occurred," Hiruzen crossed the short distance between him and Itachi, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He looked up at the boy with his sad smile. "I do not like of the manner in which you did it, but thank you for protecting this village from civil war. The barrier formula will remain the same, in case you ever wish to check in on her."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage." Said Itachi sincerely. They stood there for a moment, before finally Sarutobi cleared his throat and donned a serious look.

"You don't need to thank me. Nothing I do could ever repay you for the sacrifice you've made. Now, what is this important news about Naruto?"

Surprisingly, Itachi didn't answer immediately. Instead he shifted nervously, as if he was trying to decide how to begin. _Odd . . . _After a few moments he finally seemed to be ready to speak.

"Two weeks ago my sister noticed him do something . . . odd, for him at least. She saw him get three bulls eyes at the same time while he thought no one was around. Apparently his entire demeanor changed. He was much . . . calmer, much colder," Itachi said. Hiruzen struggled not to show his shock. That description caused him to think of his old rival, more specifically, his ROOT opperatives. He clenched his fist when he imagined Naruto being controlled by Danzō. _No, can't jump to conclusions._

It seemed Itachi was aware of the direction his thoughts were heading, as he was quick to ease his worries. "This change has nothing to do with ROOT, well, at least not directly." Hiruzen's narrowed his eyes at the young man. Although he felt bad for what Itachi had gone through, he had no time for beating around the bush. In many ways Naruto was like his grandson. If Naruto was in danger, he needed to know.

"Explain." He ordered Itachi. The young man quickly followed his orders, summarizing what he had witnessed during his week following Naruto

"—after I followed him through the tunnel, I came upon a cavern. It was there I encountered his mentor. His mentor is . . . Madara Uchiha."

Hiruzen's eyes bulged in shock and his blood ran cold. He struggled to draw breath for a moment, it was like he had forgotten how to breathe. His mind instantly began to try to deny Itachi's statement. _No, it's not possible. He died, long ago. Surely it couldn't be . . ._ But he knew that wasn't true. Living as long as he had, he knew that nothing was truly impossible. Still, Even assuming he was still alive, why would Madara choose to train Naruto? Was it for the Kyūbi?

"Are you _certain_ that he is Madara?" Asked Hiruzen. He was almost begging for any hope of refuting the claim. Itachi fixed him with an extremely serious stare, and gave a resolute nod. A shiver of dread traveled down his spine. Madara Uchiha was living underneath the village. It reminded him of tales told of monsters lurking just out of sight, waiting to strike.

"You knew that he was living within this village and you waited until _now_ to tell me?" His asked accusingly. The idea of Madara being in the village . . terrified him.

Itachi flinched, but he didn't back down. "There were reasons—one being that my movements were being watched by Danzō. If I had tried to contact you, then he would have carried out the massacre himself, and Sasuki would be dead," Defended Itachi. Hiruzen's eyes softened slightly. Itachi would truly do anything for his sister, even put the village he loved at risk.

"However—" Hiruzen's gaze sharpened. "—the main reason that I waited was because I do not think Madara is a threat—to Naruto _or_ the village." Said Itachi. Hiruzen stared at him incredulously, as if he had grown a second head.

"Not a threat? I suppose you gathered this simply by observing him?" Asked Hiruzen, his eyes were narrowed in suspicion. Itachi gulped audibly.

"No . . . he—he discovered me, and introduced himself," He admitted. Itachi took a deep breath, before he continued. "He told me that he was Naruto's grandfather, on his father's side."

Time seemed to stop for Hiruzen. His mind almost had to reboot as he processed the shocking statement. _Madara Uchiha, Naruto's Grandfather? It's ridiculous . . . and yet; it isn't entirely unlikely. _He tried to regain his composure, but his reaction had been quite obvious, and he was obviously still shaken.

"Do you believe him?" He waited with baited breath for the boys answer.

"I do." Itachi said confidently. There was no hesitation at all. That caught Hiruzen unawares. To make such a statement that calmly . . . surely he had seen proof?

"Tell. Me. Everything." Commanded Hiruzen. It was all he needed to say. Itachi began to tell him about his conversation with Madara, what he had seen of Naruto training, and what he had learned of the history of Naruto's father. Hiruzen had to grudgingly admit that Madara's story filled in a lot of the mystery surrounding his student's finding of Minato. Finally, Itachi told him of his reasons for believing him.

"—I believe him for three main reasons. First, is a picture of Madara and a woman with a baby, the woman greatly resembled Naruto and the Fourth. The second, is the fact that all of his clones had the Sharingan. It lends credence to the claim of him having Uchiha heritage," Explained Itachi. His tone was calm, as if he was only giving a report. By now, Hiruzen had relaxed slightly, although he was still not convinced.

"And the final reason?" He asked tensely.

"That is the most compelling Lord Hokage. You see, I was able to look at his chakra with my Sharingan. As you know, it allows me to differentiate chakra signatures. Madara's was by far the most potent and powerful I have ever seen. It was terrifying how far above everyone else's it was; But—" Here Itachi looked directly into Hiruzen's eyes. The elder shinobi could tell he was trying to convey the utter surety of his next words. "—it did not contain the look of darkness about it that all of our clan suffering from the curse of hatred possess."

Itachi had one more comment, one that did a lot to ease Hiruzen's anxiety, and also made him curious. "I believe that he has no negative intentions towards Naruto or the village. He is simply a grandfather, who wishes to provide all that he can for his grandson. I would think you could relate," Said Itachi. There was the faintest hint of a smile on his lips.

That alone set Hiruzen at ease. Itachi was absolutely certain of his assumptions, and he had absolute faith in Itachi. _Itachi is not easily fooled , especially not his eyes. If what he says is true, Madara has reformed._ Hiruzen didn't show any outward reaction. His face remained in a blank mask. He turned and faced the village once more. Looking out at the place he had pledged his life to protect, and hearing the children learning in the academy yards below, he came to a decision.

"Very well. Inform Madara that I will agree to meet him in one days time in my office. Once again, I thank you for what you have sacrificed. Now I would suggest you leave, there are Anbu still looking for you."

"As you wish, Lord Hokage." Said Itachi. With a swish of cloth and a rustle of leaves, he disappeared just as soon as he came.

Hiruzen was left alone on the rooftop, lost in his thoughts of Naruto and the new revelations.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Naruto could feel the creeping winter chill trying to seep through his skin. A blanket of uniform grey clouds stretched across the sky of Konoha that day. It threw a muted light down on the village, draining it of all its color, and making his bright orange short-sleeved hoodie stand out all the more. Naruto stood with the rest of his class, around the taijutsu ring, waiting to spar. For once he found himself glad for the distraction the taijutsu brought him. He wouldn't be able to focus on anything but hiding his skills. The less he was able to think about his grandfathers upcoming meeting with the Hokage, the better.

_I hope everything goes okay . . .I don't want to be alone again. _Naruto's stomach dropped at the thought of no longer having his grandfather. When he had been alone the first time, he had no idea what it was like to have a family. To lose it now after he had only just found it a short time ago, would be heartbreaking. _Speaking of losing family . . ._ Naruto looked in sympathy at the silent, brooding figure of Sasuki. _Poor Sasuki. Losing everyone in one night must be horrible. I can't believe she's back in school already, it's only been two days._ He was stopped from further thinking about the raven-haired girl by the sound of Iruka's voice.

"Good effort Senichi, Kazu. Although, Senichi, you should've focus more on outmaneuvering Kazu instead of overpowering him. Remember, a shinobi needs to be both strong _and_ cunning." Said Iruka, as two boys exited the ring. The smaller of the two hung his head as he walked back into the crowd with a busted lip. Iruka looked down to consult his clipboard, where the names of the people sparring against each other were prepared beforehand. "Alright, next his Hinata against Naruto, both of you step into the ring."

Naruto stepped into the ring to face his opponent. As usual, Hinata was acting extremely shy. She looked at him while poking her fingers together—something he had come to recognize as a defensive tick of hers. Hinata offered him a stuttering 'good luck', which he returned with a gruff one of his own.

"Make the Seal of Confrontation you two," Commanded Iruka. The two children held their hands up in a half ram seal, preparing to begin their match. "Go!"

Immediately the two sprang into action, well at least Naruto did. He charged  
>forward, with his fist cocked back. Hinata didn't move forward, she simply waited to gently slap his hand away. But that was all. Naruto's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. He had been wide open after that counter. With the Hyūga's Gentle Fist Hinata should have been able to end the match right there. <em>Does she not know that style? <em>Naruto mentally scoffed at that thought. Of course she knew the style; she was heiress to the clan after all. _So why's she going easy on me?_

Naruto used the momentum from his countered blow to spin into a low sweep kick, which Hinata simply jumped over. Once again, Naruto was surprised when she failed to capitalize. When he got back to his feet, Hinata began to barrage him with a some weak strikes that he let hit while he clumsily attempted to defend them. It confused him that none of them hurt like he expected; they hurt no more than light jabs. _What's going on? I know the Hyūga style is much more powerful than this. _Naruto let loose a fierce yell of effort as he launched another barrage of punches. To his confusion—and secretly frustration—Hinata once again simply gently countered the hard blows. _I know it's called the Gentle Fist, but this is just ridiculous!_

And the pattern continued. He would attack and she would passively defend, or she would launch half hearted offense. It was really beginning to get on his nerves. His usual modus operandi was to come out swinging, and then let his opponent overtake him by either speed or skill. But the Hinata was avoiding any serious strikes, and didn't attempt to end it during the numerous openings he gave her. _She's making this really hard to lose_

Finally, the last straw came after a slightly more intense barrage of blows from Hinata. As if on instinct, she began to move in for a debilitating strike—\that would have undoubtedly ended the match. At the last moment, she uddenly flinched, and pulled back her arm, causing her to stumble.

Naruto's eyes narrowed to slits. _That's it, I'm through with this. She hasn't even been using any chakra for her strikes!_

Maintaining his usual level of speed, Naruto took advantage of Hinata's stumble by sweeping her legs out from under her, causing her to fall with a surprised yelp. Naruto knelt beside her and made as if to punch her. Hinata's eyes clenched shut in anticipation for the blow. His knuckles came to a a swift and violent stop a mere centimeter from her nose. Utter silence surrounded the two.

"Winner . . . Naruto!" Declared Iruka. He, like everyone else, seemed surprised by Naruto's upset victory.

Hinata—who had kept her eyes closed—opened her eyes in surprise. A blush overtook her face. "Ah-uh, it looks l-like you win N-Naruto," She said meekly. Naruto struggled not to scowl. He had only won because she refused to fight. Even to his regular persona, that wasn't a win worth having. Nevertheless, he gave her a small grin and pulled her to her feet. He stuck out his pointer and index finger to her, offering the Seal of Reconciliation. With an even bigger blush than before, she accepted it with a trembling hand.

"Good you two, especially you Naruto." Praised Iruka. Naruto gave him a wide grin and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Yep, guess all my training is finally paying off!" He replied.

Hinata and Naruto walked out of the ring, rejoining the rest of the class. Around them, the student were muttering about his win, although, most seemed to be under the impression it was because he was against one of the weaker members of the class.

"It's not like that's anything to be proud of. He finally beat a girl, big deal."

Naruto scowled at the mutters. He knew better than anyone that he shouldn't have won. Next to him Hinata poked her fingers together nervously.

"D-don't mind them N-Naruto. I'm s-sure it was your t-training." Said Hinata. She let out a surprised "Eep" when Naruto turned his scowl at her. He wasn't angry at her for holding back, but rather for doing it to the extreme she had to make sure she didn't hurt him.

"That's not why I'm mad." He growled. "You weren't even trying. There were lots of chances for you to beat me. Why'd you go easy on me?"

Hinata's eyes widened. "I-I-I uh d-d-didn't w-w-want y-y-you t-to g-get h-hurt. Th-the J-jūken can c-cause a lot o—" Naruto interrupted her.

"So you just thought I wasn't tough enough to take it? Do you do that against everyone?" Hinata's flinch at his harsh words was his answer. "What if you hesitate like that in a real fight cause you don't want to 'hurt' anyone? You'll get yourself, and maybe your teammates, killed!"

Her eyes shot wide in complete shock. The bluenette's head drooped. "I-I n-never thought of i-it like th-that," She said. "I-I'll t-try to s-stop h-holding back."

Naruto nodded silently, moving to take his place around the ring once more.

"Alright, next up is Kiba . . . and Sasuki." Iruka said. There was a slight hesitance in his voice when he reached Sasuki's name. The massacre was fresh in every one's mind.

Kiba and Sasuki entered the ring and faced off. Kiba—who was usually rather cocky—was actually rather subdued, although it didn't stop him from having a confidant smile. Both of them made the Seal of Confrontation.

"Go!" Said Iruka.

Neither combatant made a move to begin fighting. Naruto was actually concerned about Sasuki. Usually she went into a fight with either a calm mask, or a confident smirk. This time he could only see rage in her eyes.

_That look . . . I wonder if Kiba know what kind of trouble he's in. He better not start the fight like he usually does . . . _Kiba was one of Sasuki's biggest admirers. He always started every spar between them with some sort of attempt to get her to agree to hang out with him.

"Don't worry Sasuki, I'll take it easy on you. After all, you're going through a loss. It wouldn't be fair if I fought you at full strength when you're still dealing with what happened to your clan," Said Kiba. He obviously was trying to appear sympathetic. But Naruto knew as soon as that sentence left his lips, he had said the wrong thing. He started to get a bad feeling. He was pretty sure he knew what was about to happen to Kiba. _This feeling . . . she's beyond mad._ Apparently Kiba wasn't as astute at sensing emotions. _He_ seemed to think that Sasuki was shaking with sobs.

"Hey, sorry, I didn't wanna to make you cry, maybe I can—" Kiba would never know what hit him. One second he was about to offer her a shoulder to cry on, the next, he was receiving a brutal kick to the side. He instantly doubled up, clutching his ribs. Sasuki didn't stop. She took advantage of his bent over position and brought up a crushing knee into his face. There was a sort of wet crunch that made Naruto cringe. Kiba went down clutching his face. It was obvious from the blood gushing from beneath his hand that Sasuki had broke his nose.

Despite the fact that Kiba was now on the ground in pain, Sasuki didn't let up. She straddled his chest, and began to rain down blows on whatever part of him she could reach. Kiba was helpless to defend himself. Sasuki seemed deaf to Iruka's shouts that she had already won.

Naruto looked on, slightly disturbed, as Iruka was forced to intercede and pull Sasuki off of Kiba.

"I said that's enough. You've clearly won." Iruka said strictly. His eyes then softened slightly. "You're going through I tough time right now, and it's obviously clouding your judgment. Why don't you go cool off?"

Sasuki glared at Iruka for a moment with a look of pure hate. It was almost like she was seeing someone else instead of the kind chūnin teacher. In fact, Naruto was almost sure she _was_ seeing someone else; someone she wanted to kill. Without a word she turned and stalked off, ignoring everyone muttering around her.

Naruto stared after her in worry. Unlike Iruka, he wasn't so sure that her judgment was truly clouded, at least not in the sense that Iruka was thinking.. The rage she had shown was unsettling. It went further than simply having your clan killed. _I know how hard it would be for me to lose just grandfather . . . what must it be like for her to lose all the friends and family she's ever known._

Naruto knew some of what happened that night. Itachi had stopped the clan before it could launch a coup. _So much death. Women and children, and all because of a bunch of delusional fools._ He hadn't known any of the clan, except for Sasuki, but he knew that many didn't deserve to die. Perhaps the worst casualty was Sasuki. Something had happened. _That rage . . . that hate. There's more going on here. Itachi must have done something to her. _Naruto stared at the Uchiha crest on Sasuki's back. It suddenly hit him. They were the only young Uchiha left now, even if Sasuki didn't know he was an Uchiha. In that moment, he made up his mind.

There outside that dirt ring, he made a promise that would affect both their future's. _I don't know what's happened to you Sasuki . . . but I'll help you out of that hate, even if I can't do it directly for now._

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Night was beginning to fall in Konoha. Outside, the temperature had fallen drastically, and storm clouds gathered. The howling wind and freezing rain battered the windows of the Hokage's office. The room was darkened—he had chosen not to light any candles—and Hiruzen was waiting in silent anticipation for his guest. He had already dismissed his Anbu guards, telling them that the meeting required the utmost secrecy. If the old man that Itachi had met was indeed Madara, then the Anbu would only get in the way if things got confrontational. Even if he was a decrepit old man, Madara was surely a fearsome foe.

Although he was hoping that Itachi's assessment of the man was correct. _Madara Uchiha, Naruto's grandfather? Hmm . . . it's not completely beyond belief. There was always mystery surrounding the circumstances of Jiraiya finding Minato._ When Jiraiya had gone back to find the body of the woman—after he had secured Minato in nearby Tanzaku Town—he had found the it gone. On top of this, all the bandits bodies had been reduced to ashes. It was most unusual.

Hiruzen tensed when a voice called out to him from the shadows. "Hmm, I see you've got your mind working, as usual." The voice was ancient and cracking, but it still held a deep tone. Instantly he was on his feet—forcing his chair back as he did—settling into a defensive stance. His heart beat wildly in his chest. and his eyes narrowed at the site of the mummy-like old man stand calmly in front of his desk, leaning on an old kama as if it were a cane.

_That face. He's a lot older, but I'd never forget that face. Madara._ Hiruzen didn't move from his defensive stance. He silently evaluated the Uchiha, puzzling over his surprise entrance. _I'm no sensor type, but I can usually sense chakra decently at this range. Yet he managed to enter without me even sensing it. _It suddenly dawned on him that if the Uchiha could enter so undetected, he could have killed him any time he wanted. _And yet he didn't . . ._ Hiruzen slowly relaxed his stance. Madara offered him him a lopsided smirk.

"A little jumpy there, Little Monkey. I imagine you're surprised to see me alive after so long."

Without waiting for an invitation, Madara took a seat in one of the simple wooden chairs in front of the Hokage's desk. Hiruzen followed suit, retrieving his high-backed chair without taking his eyes off Madara. He felt a prick of irritation at his 'guest's apparent disregard of him.

"I will admit, it is a surprise," Said Hiruzen. "So, you wanted to meet me and convince me of the fact that you have Naruto's best interests at heart. Convince me." Ordered Hiruzen, in a tone that brokered no room for interpretation. If Madara failed to satisfyingly convince him, he wouldn't hesitate to fight him.

If he was intimidated by the threat, Madara didn't show it, not that Hiruzen had expected him to.

"I assume that Itachi informed you of my family's history in the past 50 years?" Hiruzen nodded. Madara seemed to notice the calculating gaze Hiruzen was giving him, as he said, ", and yet you are not satisfied." It wasn't a question but a statement. Nevertheless, Hiruzen answered with a nod. "I suppose I could tell you the story," Mused Madara. "But it would be quicker to show you."

Without warning, Madara's Sharingan spun to life, trapping Hiruzen in its illusion. Hiruzen cursed himself. How had he let Madara get the drop on him? The world blurred before his eyes, the world being shaded in red and black. Sweat began to bead the his brow. _How do I get out of this? _

When Madara appeared before him in the strange red and black world, Hiruzen immediately moved to defend himself.

"Oh relax. If I had wanted to hurt you, I would have used Tsukuyomi. As it is, this illusion could be broken with a simple flux of chakra. I've brought you here to show you my memories of my life since I—ah—_left_ Konoha all those years ago." Explained Madara.

Despite the Uchiha's reassurance, Hiruzen remained on guard. He was inside the illusion of one of the most dangerous shinobi in history after all. However, despite his reservations, he knew the Uchiha was right. He could have done much worse things than having them appear in an illusionary world together. An examination of his chakra network revealed that the Uchiha was telling the truth. This genjutsu was no more complicated than a Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings.

Hiruzen eyed Madara wearily. "I suppose I can view these memories of yours. Whether I believe them or not I shall decide after I have viewed them," He said.

The Uchiha inclined his head slightly. Madara turned his gaze to a a wall beside them. "Good. We shall start at the beginning, my fight at the Valley of the End. I warn you, there are some things I will keep hidden. Even I am entitled to my secrets."

And so the two stood and watched Madara's life for the past 60 years. Throughout it, Madara would occasionally explain something. For the most part though, he simply let the memories do the talking. Hiruzen didn't say a word, content to watch and judge whether the memories were real. He was surprised when Madara began to have tears sliding down his face when they came to the day his wife died. Despite his reservations, he could sympathize with the man's agony.

A half hour later, Madara canceled the illusion after the final memory was played. Once more Hiruzen sat in his high backed chair. His body was stiff from sitting in the same position for so long. Absentmindedly, he pulled out his pipe and lit it with a small fire jutsu. _This certainly is a lot to take in. _Hiruzen glanced at Madara, who was wiping away the trails of tears that had gathered during their viewing of the memories. _So it wasn't just part of the illusion._

Hiruzen contemplated the position he found himself in. His mind was a storm of thoughts, all coming together into complex patterns as he reconstructed the timeline of what had happened. _It's answered a great many questions I've had over the years. There's no doubt that the memories he showed revealed the true events of what happened; but still, can I trust him?_ Hiruzen looked to the photo of the First Hokage on the wall. _What would you do were you in my place, Sensei? _He nearly snorted at his own stupidity. _Of course, you would say to give him a chance. And I suppose I should too._ Finally he broke the silence that had stretched between them.

"I believe you have told me the truth here. So I will hear you out. Now, why did you wish to meet?" Thankfully, Madara didn't insult him by pretending to be confused. They both knew that if he had wished to remain hidden, he would have simply killed Itachi when he stumbled upon his hidden home.

"Straight to the point then," Said Madara. His expression was serious, but weary at the same time. He truly began to look like a . Until then, the fact hadn't quite dawned on him that Madara was very, very old. Older than himself by over two decades.

"I've noticed recently that my energy is leaving me. My time is drawing closer." Hiruzen's eyes widened in surprise, and he made to speak, but Madara continued without letting him interrupt. "I still have a number of years left, but I'd be lucky to live to see Naruto graduate the academy. For that reason, I wish to ensure that there is someone there for him that I can trust."

Hiruzen looked at Madara shrewdly. He didn't seem like the time to trust easily.

"I see. What did you have in mind? Surely you don't plan on selecting a random person to help?" Asked Hiruzen. He could tell Madara had something in mind; and it involved something that only _he_ could help him with.

Madara shot him a sly smile. "You might have Hashirama's kindness, but I see you've also inherited Tobirama's shrewdness," He complimented. "As you must know, I have a plan. To complete it, I need two things from you."

Hiruzen regarded Madara with a blank face, not revealing the activity going on inside his min. He was trying to anticipate what the Uchiha would ask for, but it wA. "And these things are?"

Madara's lips quirked into a lopsided grin. "The first, is a certain jutsu . . . "

As Madara began to lay out his plan, Hiruzen felt the urge to massage his temples. One thing was certain; it would take time to get the things necessary for Madara's plan, and they would be a pain.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

**— ****6 Months Later —**

Naruto was practically quivering in anticipation. He hadn't changed much in the past 6 months, except for a little more black in his hair. The slap of his sandals on stone floor reverberated off the tunnel walls as he raced towards his hidden home in the cavern behind the waterfall. He had just gotten out of the academy, and he was eager to get home. Why? Because today was the day! The day he finally got to see the finished form of the katana he had helped forge to help him use his Magnet Release.

He hadn't seen the blade in over a month; once it was forged, his grandfather had wanted to polish, and furnish it with the guard and handle himself. Apparently he wanted it to be a surprise for Naruto. When he came bursting from the tunnel, he was greeted by the sight of his grandfather standing in front of the house, leaning on his cane. Naruto hastily slowed his pace. He blushed in embarrassment when his grandfather chuckled at his less than dignified entrance. Despite his embarrassment, Naruto's gaze was fixed on the long bundle of white cloth his grandfather held.

"Eager I see. Well, come, see your sword." Said Madara. He held out the cloth-wrapped bundle for Naruto to take.

The bundle was about three and a half feet in length, and it was slightly curved. Naruto reached out and took proffered bundle with slightly trembling hands. Now that the moment was here, he was overcome with nervousness. The cloth felt soft and silky to the touch. Taking a breath, he gently moved aside the cloth to finally gaze upon the sight of his sword.

The elegant blade rested inside a plain white sheath. It's gleaming bronze guard was simple but elegant, taking the shape of four-paned rectangle, similar to a window. It's long hilt was wrapped in a lavender cloth, revealing little diamonds of the rough sharkskin beneath.

He grasped the clothed hilt in his hand and paused for a moment. Anticipation washed over him, he was finally going to unsheathe his sword! With a sharp, firm tug, he removed the blade. The sword slid smoothly out of the sheath, revealing the razor sharp blade within. It glinted in the soft torchlight og the cavern.

It was beautiful, breathtaking. Naruto was surprised to feel tears begin to prick his eyes. It finally hit him just what he was holding. This was the culmination of half a year's work with his grandfather; a symbol of how much he cared for him.

Naruto struggled to find some way to express how grateful he was to his grandfather. Not just for the blade, but for finding him and being in his life. In a voice choked with emotion, he said, "Thank you, Grandfather."

Madara smiled at his grandson softly. "There's no need to thank me, Naruto. If anything it's I that should thank you. You've given me a reason to continue on. If it weren't for you, I don't know what would have happened to me when your father died," Said Madara with utter sincerity. Naruto's eyes widened at his grandfathers words; it wasn't often that he expressed his emotions like that. "Now, would you like to know the blades name?"

Naruto nodded eagerly, still not trusting his voice.

"I call it, Senbonzakura. Use it well," Said Madara.

Naruto nodded mutely. His gaze was locked on the blade that had been forged using his chakra and blood. He almost felt like the blade was emitting a protective and comforting feeling to him. As he felt that comforting presence, his mind turned to another young Uchiha, in another part of the village, who was all alone.

_Sasuki . . . you've been so different since the massacre._ He felt a wave of loathing for the foolish members of the clan, who had tried to overthrow the village. It was because of them that so many innocent lives were lost, and Sasuki became the cold individual she was. At that moment, he made a pledge. _I'll use this sword to protect our clan _and_ our village. And I'll also help you regain that kind smile you once had, even if I can't do it directly right now. The Uchiha Clan will rise again!_

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Later that night, a lone figure stood outside the Uchiha family's house. Madara stood in the middle of the training ground. The flickering torchlight lit it in a soft yellow glow. He had put Naruto to bed an hour ago, and now that the younger Uchiha was sleeping peacefully, he was ready to enact the plan that he had been making for the past 6 months.

It had taken a lot of convincing to get Hiruzen to hand over the jutsu he needed, and even longer to get the thing he needed, a sample of blood.

Madara channeled his chakra, and began to form hand seals. _Tora, Mi, Inu, Tatsu . . . _Madara clapped his hands together, and unleashed his chakra, whispering, "**Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation!**"

Sweat beaded Madara's brow from the strain of the jutsu. A void formed in the ground, glowing with an intense purple light. From within, a coffin began to emerge, rising up to face Madara. When the coffin was fully emerged, intense purple light began to fade.

All was silent in the cavern. Madara admired his handiwork. It had taken a long time to get it ready; his only regret was that he couldn't return either of Naruto's parents to him.

Madara sent chakra to his eyes, activating the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. The three elongated tomoe, with the circles at their ends and bars on the outside, began to spin. A ripple pulsed outwards from his pupil, unleashing concentric black rings that left a light grayish purple in their wake, spreading across the entire sclerae and irides.

An eerie creak filled the cavern as the lid toppled forth, hitting the stone floor with a reverberating—_CLACK_. Madara looked into the brown eyes of the coffins occupant, which were looking around in shock.

"Greetings. My name is Madara Uchiha, and I have a proposition for you."

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

**Chapter End**

**AN/ Whoooo, glad that's done. It took me a get to get this chapter out, sorry it took so long, I intended to release this last Friday.**

**Anyways, I finally revealed the sword, and Madara has begun to plan for his inevitable death. I'm sure people will have questions, I'll be happy to answer most in reviews. **

**The next chapter won't be out for a bit, I'm thinking 2-3 weeks. Next chapter we begin canon. **

**So, make sure to review, there's a lot I'd like opinions on. First, your guess for who the second **

**girl paired with Naruto will be, second, whether there ****_should_**** be a second girl paired with Naruto, and finally, the teams. **

**Here are you're choices to help me decide on; A, Regular Team 7; B, Naruto, Sasuki, and Hinata; C, Naruto, Sasuki, and Shino.**

**Make sure to tell me what you like, what worked, what didn't. Always helps to have constructive criticism. Flames will be ignored.**

**Well, that's all for now.**

**Until then,**

**RinneTaicho, Signing Off!**

**EDIT 4-25-15: Alright, just one more chapter to go.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Naruto: Uchiha Chronicles**

**AN/ Hey yo, I'm back. So, we're finally into cannon. So, seems people are generally liking how things are going, which is cool, I'm glad you like my writing, I put a lot of effort into it for you guys.**

**In this chapter, we'll see Naruto begin to remove his 'mask', revealing the prodigal shinobi beneath. One thing I'd like to make clear, is that he is ****_not_** **all powerful, and while he is certainly ****_very_**** strong for his age, he isn't on the level of someone like Kakashi. To illustrate this, I'll give an analogy of the databook stats. The first databook had Kakashi rated at 33 total, Naruto is starting this story with 26, which is less than even the weakest of the jōnin sensei, Kurenai. On top of this, he won't be revealing his Uchiha heritage right of the bat, so he won't be using the sharingan for a bit, which would further drop his stats to about 23 in my opinion. So in conclusion, there will be people who outclass him.**

**Now, to news. First, the contest to guess the mystery girl is finally over, someone managed to guess her correctly in the last round of reviews. Congratulations to the winner, who chose Fem-Shikamaru as the one he wanted to see paired with Naruto in one of my upcoming fics.**

**When it comes to the polls, they're still fully open. The one on my profile will help me to decide where I want to go as far as future fic pairings after the next couple I have planned.**

**As for the ones in the reviews, the one about the team will be open until the next chapter, be sure to leave your opinions in you r review. Once again, your options are; A, regular team 7. B, Naruto, Sasuki, and Hinata. Or C, Naruto, Sasuki, and Shino.**

**For the final poll, the pairing, it will be open until the end of the Wave Arc. Once again, I want to know whether you would like it to remain a double pairing, it will help in my decision. A, keep the double pairing; or B, make it a single pairing.**

**Now the final piece of news. For those of you who have read the beginning of the Mokuton fic I started; I've begun plans to begin rewriting it. This time around, I'm planning it much better, and I've embellished on Fem-Yamato's history, and added some things I hope you'll enjoy, so be looking for that soon.**

**Now, to the guest reviewer who commented that Madara already knew Edo Tensei, I'm afraid that's where you are wrong good sir/madam. You see, he knew how to ****_release _****it. This does not mean he knew how to ****_perform_**** it. Further, if you check his page on the Naruto Wiki, Edo Tensei is not listed on his list of jutsu.**

**The final point I'd like to make before I begin, is I'd like you to remember to review, and give constructive criticism on what worked and what didn't. Don't hesitate to point it out if you see somewhere I could improve my writing, and I'm always open to answer most questions(the only exception being if I feel that it will ruin a bit of the plot for you.)**

**Now, on with the chapter!**

**EDIT 4-25-15: Ok, so this is the last chapter that I have to edit, once it's done, I'll be uploading all my edited chapters and beginning chapter 8. Anyways, I expect this will probably have the least edits of all the chapter so far. The one that got hit the most was chapter 2.**

Normal speech: "what"

Extremely loud group/single person shouting: "WHAT!"

Thoughts/Speech taken out of context:_ 'what'_

Letter/Book/Written text: '_What'_

Demon/Summon speech: **"what"**

Demon/Summon thoughts: **_'what'_**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or Bleach, that honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Tite Kubo respectively.

**Arc II: Formation of Team 7:**

**Chapter 6: The Illusion Removed, Trapping a Traitor!**

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Sorrowful electric-blue eyes gazed at a brand new grave stone. It wasn't anything special, made of a simple smooth white stone, with a name and epithet carved into its face. Perhaps the most significant part was the Uchiha crest emblazoned at the top of the stone, directly over the neatly carved name.

_Madara Uchiha._

_A man who loved his family_

A gentle breeze passed by, whipping through the boys long black hair, which was held up into a high ponytail. Naruto didn't pay the breeze any mind, too intent on his mourning to care. It had been a little over a month since his grandfather had passed away. The death hadn't come as a surprise to either of them; Madara had made no attempt to hide his deteriorating health in the past year. Near the very end, he had been bedridden constantly.

Despite the long amount of time he had to prepare for the death, it still hurt Naruto. He had taken a week off from the academy, to travel to the Land of Rivers to bury his grandfather alongside his grandmother behind their old house.

The gentle fragrance of flowers planted by his grandmother long ago filled the air. It was truly a tranquil place, one where his grandfather could finally rest in peace.

"Hey Grandfather, it's me. I figured I'd come and see you and Grandmother one more time before the test." Naruto said to the gravestone. "You'll be glad to hear I haven't slacked off in my training, I think I'm starting to get the hang of that new jutsu, though it still isn't mastered." Naruto looked up at the sky for a moment, watching the clouds drifting overhead

"This'll be the last time I get to come here for a while. Once I pass the test, I'll be a fully fledged shinobi. I'll finally be able to start helping Sasuki, and restoring our clans reputation once the Chūnin Exams roll around."

He had never forgotten his promise to the raven-haired girl, even if she wasn't aware of it. While he hadn't been able to interact directly with her, he had occasionally found ways to try and break up the constant anger she felt. "To be honest, I'm actually a little excited. Pretty soon everyone will know just how powerful I really am. I know you'd scold me for that." Naruto snorted. There was no doubt his grandfather would admonish him for thinking like that. He'd whack him over the head with his cane, and lecture him about not revealing his secrets until he needed to. Naruto allowed himself a brief melancholy smile. It made him think of all the happy times training with his grandfather. Unfortunately, he wasn't allowed to reminisce for long.

**_You'd better wrap it up Naruto, you have to be back in Konoha by midnight tomorrow_**

Naruto let loose a sigh. He wished he had more time. _I know, just give me one more minute, Kurama._

His relationship with the Kyūbi had been another thing to change over the past five years. At first the fox had maintained its desire to be left alone, but eventually it started to come around. They had managed to build a friendship of sorts, enough to where it had deigned to tell him its name, Kurama.

Shaking himself from his reverie, Naruto looked back at the tombstone.

"I promise you Grandfather. I'll restore our family—our clans—pride. I guess I'll see you when I can finally get time to come back. Until then, bye."

Closing his eyes and taking a last whiff of the aroma of flowers in the air, Naruto vanished from the garden in back of the simple wooden house. He had to get back home so he could take his final academy test, and begin his journey to restore the clans honor. Konoha was in for a rude awakening, when it met the _real_ Naruto.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

_BEEP BEEP BEEP!_

_BEEP BEEP BEEP!_

_BEEP BEE—SMASH!_

A groggy pair of electric blue eyes cracked open. Naruto sat up with a groan, as he tried to clear his hazy mind of the last vestiges of sleep. He looked to his nightstand, and sweat dropped when he saw the smashed alarm clock. _ Hmph, looks like I need a new one again. _He shrugged.

**_What's that, the third this month? _**Kurama asked mockingly

Naruto ignored his Bijū/friend. He stretched his arms over his head with a tired yawn. It took him longer than he had expected to get back to Konoha; he had only arrived back at three o'clock in the morning the night before, leaving him with only four hours sleep. Despite this, he felt an overabundance of energy.

Today was finally the day! After today, he'd never have to act like an idiot again! It was always a blow to his pride whenever he went out in his 'dead-last' persona. And today would be the very last time he had to do it.

Hopping out of bed, Naruto walked across the room to his bathroom to take a shower. Naruto washed his body with deft quickness, finishing his shower within ten minutes. He took a moment to towel off—drying his hair with some fire chakra to speed up the process—before he exited the shower, not bothering to cover his nakedness. It wasn't like anyone was there to see him. Naruto had grown in the past five years, his grandfathers strict training regimen and his healthy diet had allowed Naruto to grow into a very tall and fit young man. Compact and defined muscles rippled beneath his skin, and he stood at the same height as his class mate Shino.

His closet slid open with an almost inaudible shuffling sound, letting Naruto see the contents within. His lips twitched into a small smile at the sight before him. Not a speck of that horrid kill-me-orange. Naruto had taken great pleasure in burning them the night before.

"Today will be interesting . . . I can feel it." He mumbled.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

"Alright, next up . . . Naruto Uzumaki." Iruka's voice called from inside the room. Naruto internally smiled, while plastering a huge cocky grin on his face. One of the entertaining things about his 'dead-last' persona was pranking, and this would be the best yet.

Naruto caught the eyes of the person exiting the room at that same moment. The cold, onyx black eyes of the last female Uchiha stared into his own for a second, before she turned her head with a dismissive scoff into the unzipped collar of her blue tank top. Sasuki had grown into the spitting image of her mother. Her headband held back her blue-tinted ebony tresses, bangs falling on either side to frame her lovely face. The clothes she wore were a far cry from the boyish attire she had favored in her younger years; a feminine Uchiha high-collared tank top, and a white apron skirt with black shorts underneath

Naruto couldn't help but frown at her cold demeanor. It was much different than how she was before the academy, but it was still better than the reckless anger that she had had for the first couple years after the massacre. _Seems like she's improving. Now I just need to pass, and get on the same team as her . . ._

"NARUTO!" Iruka's loud voice forced him to enter the room, pushing his thoughts aside for later.

Naruto quickly entered the room. He stood in front of the desk, and looked at his instructors. Iruka looked much the same, with his brown hair in a spiky pineapple-ponytail, his deep tan skin, and the large scar across the bridge of his nose. Next to him sat another man, one of a paler complexion.

The pale skinned man stood out most with his silver hair, odd for someone his age. Other than that, he didn't have any distinguishing marks.

Mizuki had joined the teaching staff as Iruka's assistant two years ago, and Naruto found out almost immediately that, unlike Iruka, Mizuki clearly hated him and was one of those that thought he was Kurama.

Iruka smiled at Naruto kindly. "Alright Naruto, you have to successfully use the Clone Jutsu to pass. Take as long as you need to prepare."

On the outside, Iruka seemed calm. But Naruto could tell that he was worried for him. After all, the clone jutsu was supposed to be his worst jutsu.

"A clone? Too easy!" Naruto said with a cocky grin. He could see Iruka's worry increase, and saw a brief look of cruel glee and—anticipation?—in Mizuki's eyes.

He withheld a frown and placed his hand in the ram seal. _Kurama . . is it just me, or is something off with him?'_Naruto asked. He focused on Mizuki with the negative emotions sensing Kurama allowed him.

The Uchiha could definitely feel the usual hate and condescension, but there was something else there. It was definitely negative, but it was mixed with a positive emotion, so he couldn't quite make it out. Was it just him?

**_It's not just you . . . there's something off about that pathetic meat-sack. Keep an eye on him_**

Naruto gave a mental nod of understanding. His suspicions confirmed, Naruto turned his attention to the exam. Naruto built his chakra and let it loose.

"**Clone Jutsu!**" Naruto cried. He purposefully pumped extra chakra into it to create a larger cloud of smoke, the better to obscure the results. When the white, poufy cloud of smoke receded into wispy tendrils, revealing a shocking sight. A sea of orange filled the room as countless clones crowded into every inch of the large classroom. It left the teachers jaws dropped in awe and disbelief.

Several times, Iruka opened his mouth as if to speak, only for no sound to come out. It seemed that his words were failing him. Mizuki was in a similar situation; but with his negative emotions sensing focused on Mizuki, Naruto could detect an intense and seething rage beginning to bubble beneath the surface, along with a sense of panic. _Strange . . ._

Finally, Iruka gathered himself enough to speak, albeit a bit shakily.

"V-very impressive Naruto. I don't think I've ever seen so many clones." Iruka recovered from his shock. He gave Naruto a happy grin. "Congratulations, you graduate! Come up and get your head band."

Naruto pushed his thoughts on Mizuki to the back of his mind, and plastered a huge fox-like smile on his face.

"YES! I DID IT, I'M A NINJA!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, jumping in the air and pumping his fist in victory.

The Uchiha dashed forward to the table and snatched up a head band. He wrapped it around his head in an almost reverent manner, and gave Iruka a wide smile.

"Thanks Iruka-sensei, I'll make you proud!"

Naruto didn't give Iruka a chance to reply. He dashed out f the room, leaving the teachers to collect their wits and call in the last couple students.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Naruto was half way down the street before he got the sense that he was being followed. It was a gut feeling, honed from years of training in stealth. Not even a second later he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He had to fight the urge to attack the person on instinct. When he looked up, he was surprised to see Mizuki looking down at him kindly. _Mizuki? What does he want?_

"Hey there Naruto, congrats on passing. I gotta admit, it was rather surprising." Mizuki gave him what was supposed to be a cheerful smile. "Why don't we go somewhere and talk. I've got some great news from the instructors at the academy."

The surprise of the comment almost caused Naruto to drop his act. For a moment, his eyes narrowed and he looked at Mizuki with a cold and calculating gaze; but it only lasted for a second. The next second, he was looking up at the silver haired man with a big fox-like grin and squinted eyes. Outside, he looked like the picture of idiotic confusion. On the inside he was working fiercely to figure out what Mizuki's game was.

_Does he plan to attack me? _Naruto quickly used his negative emotions sensing ability. _Hmm . . . his panic has calmed down, but the maliciousness has increased exponentially. He won't attack in the open; but he really wants to._

**_Don't tell me you're worried about that pathetic cretin._** Kurama scoffed. Naruto almost bristled at the comment.

_I'm not worried, just cautious._ Naruto insisted, before he addressed Mizuki.

"Sure sensei, no problem!" He said with an even wider grin.

"Follow me then." Said Mizuki, with kind smile.

Ten minutes later found them sitting on the edge of a roof with the breeze brushing through their hair. Mizuki was looking at Naruto with a calculating gaze, as if sizing him up.

"So, Mizuki-sensei, come on and tell me what's this news from the other instructors? I wanna go too Ichiraku's to celebrate with ramen!" Naruto asked in an 'unintentionally' belligerent tone.

"Well, you see, all of the instructors were impressed with your performance. For a graduate to make so many clones is unheard of—" Mizuki trailed off. He could tell the chūnin was baiting him, trying to feed his ego to get in his good graces and manipulate him somehow. _So . . . he needs me for something. Let's see where this heads._

"Really? They were impressed?" He asked, eyes wide. Mizuki smirked at him proudly.

"Yes, in fact, we were so impressed that we agreed to give you a test, one nobody else gets."

Naruto tilted his head in confusion.

"A test? What kind? Will I still graduate?" Naruto asked. The questions came out in rapid fire succession. Mizuki chuckled in amusement. He ruffled Naruto's hair, making Naruto pout and avoid taking Mizuki's arm off.

"No need to worry, you still graduate. Before I tell you about it, you have to agree not to tell anybody. You see, it's a very secret test, but if you pass, you can become the Rookie of the Year, and pick your teammates.." Mizuki explained.

Now that caught Naruto by surprise. He knew for a fact that there was no such test. Contrary to popular belief, failing the graduation exam was _not_ easy. You had to know every single rule and way of passing, so that you could appear to be trying, and yet still fail. _What's your game Mizuki?_

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Of course Mizuki-sensei, no problem. I can keep any secret, believe it! If it means that I can pick my team, I'm sure to be with Sakura!" Declared Naruto.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the corners of Mizuki's mouth turn up into a triumphant smirk.

"Well, then I guess I have no choice but to tell you, about the special test . . ."

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Naruto appeared before the Hokage's desk with a whisper of displaced wind, a deadly serious look on his face. His sudden appearance and serious demeanor alarmed the Hokage, who appeared to have been busy doing paperwork. Perhaps it was the fact that he had yet to remove his henge, perhaps because of his sudden appearance. Either way, the elderly village leader could obviously tell that something serious was happening.

"Ah, Naruto, nice to see you. Your arrival wasn't quite as, _loud_ as usual, has something happened?" Hiruzen asked in a seemingly carefree manner.

Naruto didn't waste time in informing the Hokage of the situation. He had already done enough of that after he had learned of Mizuki's so called 'test', and making sure the traitorous chūnin wasn't following him.

"Yes, well, this is a rather serious matter." Naruto said, instantly erasing any of the false cheerfulness on the Hokage's face. It was washed away and replaced with a calculating and pragmatic visage of authority. The slight narrowing of his eyes was all the order Naruto needed to launch into his explanation of what had happened.

His report was short and simple, stating what had happened from the time of the graduation test, to this apparent 'special test' from Mizuki.

"—and then he told me that the test was to steal the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing, and learn a jutsu from it. I must admit, it's a rather clever plan, for him at least." Naruto explained.

"That it is," The Hokage chuckled. "I must admit, it's not completely surprising that Mizuki is a traitor. There have always been . . ._ questions_, certain inconsistencies, in some of his reports," He said in agreement. He looked at Naruto with a shrewd gaze. "That being said, we have a dilemma. Despite the fact that I have no doubt you are telling the truth, I can't just arrest Mizuki on the word of a genin who has only just barely graduated the academy."

Naruto quirked and eyebrow. He knew what the Hokage was saying was true, yet he was wondering where he was going with it.

"Well, what do you propose we do then, gramps?" Naruto asked. He was well aware of how shrewd the old monkey could be, and was certain he was planning something in that wrinkly old head of his.

Sarutobi smirked at him.

"I think it would be prudent to catch him in the act. Mizuki offered you chance to pick your teammates, correct?" Hiruzen asked. Naruto nodded, not quite sure where the old Hokage was heading. "Then perhaps we could make a deal. You've made sure that your grades are so abysmal that you will be on the same team as Sasuki—" Naruto nodded again, this time a little more impatiently. They both knew this already! "—however," Said Hiruzen, getting a sharp look from Naruto. One which was completely ignored. "—that still leaves one spot open on your team. Maybe if you were to do an important mission for me, I would take into consideration your opinion about who would best fill the remaining spot when I make my final decision on the teams."

Understanding dawned on Naruto's face. The Hokage was giving him the chance to ensure that him and Sasuki's teammate was someone they both could get along with. _And who will be best for helping her with her hatred, and not exacerbating it._

"Very well, so, _Lord Hokage_, what mission would you like for me to complete for you?" Questioned Naruto.

Sarutobi returned his smirk with one of his own. "Genin Naruto Uzumaki, I'm assigning you the task of rooting out the traitor Mizuki. You may use any means necessary."

"Of course, Lord Hokage."

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Silvery beams of moonlight filtered through the treetops, bathing Naruto in their ethereal light. He was sitting cross-legged in front of a decrepit old shack, waiting for his target to arrive. The sound of crickets chirping filled the woods, especially around the small clearing he was in. His chakra sensing abilities were stretched out to about twenty yards beyond the edge of the small clearing, to warn him if Mizuki were to arrive.

_I'm getting a little tired of waiting. This is much more boring than I imagined._

**_Oh shut up. It hasn't been _****that****_ long. You're just impatient. _**Kurama said in a snarky manner.

Naruto sighed at the bijū's words. Truth be told, Kurama was right; he was impatient. He wanted this to be over with so he could go home. The sooner he tomorrow came, the better. Then he could finally stop acting like an idiot.

**_Cheer up. Look at the bright side, at least you might get to kill Mizuki!_**

The Uchiha boy sweat-dropped at his tenant and friends bloodthirsty nature.

_I don't think that's the point of the mission. I'm kind of supposed to get a confession out of him, and even then, they'll want to question him at the Torture and Interrogation unit._ Naruto replied.

Even though he couldn't see it, he was almost sure he could feel Kurama pouting. **_Still, that doesn't mean we ca—_**

_Shut up!'_He hissed, cutting off the mighty bijū. For a second Kurama seemed to be stunned into silence, and then he growled.

**_Don't you tell me to shut up you jumped up, hairless, Neolithic, mon— _**Once again Kurama got cut off.

_No, I mean be quiet, I need to focus. Someone just crossed into my sensing range. _Explained Naruto. The recently graduated genin swiftly stood, focusing intently on the signature he was sensing. His brow was knitted in confusion. It didn't _feel_ like Mizuki's, and he couldn't sense any negative emotions except worry and fear.

There was a whispering of leaves, and suddenly, a figure shot down from the canopy, landing softly in the clearing. Naruto stared, genuinely shocked, into the concerned brown eyes of his guest.

"Iruka-sensei, what are you doing here?" He asked in surprise, caught so off guard that he forgot to act dumb.

"What am I doing here?" Iruka growled. "I'm here to make sure that I got to you first. What were you thinking, stealing the Forbidden Scroll?"

Naruto felt like cursing. Somehow Iruka had managed to find him. The alarm had had to of been raised, so that Mizuki wouldn't suspect a trap. And of course Iruka had managed to find him before he could spring it. _This isn't good . . . I don't have time to deal with him._

He looked at Iruka with dead seriousness, surprising th chūnin. "Listen, I don't have time to explain, you've got to—"

Naruto stopped abruptly as he sensed another signature approaching them. This time it was definitely Mizuki, and he wasn't there to talk. All he could do was give Iruka a quick warning.

"Lookout!" No sooner had the word left his mouth, than a swarm of kunai and shuriken were launched from the canopy, the sharp metal killing tools whizzing through the air straight for Iruka. The startled instructor managed to dodge or deflect a few as he jumped backwards, but he couldn't dodge them all. With the—_thunk_—of metal impacting wood, and the dull wet—_thump_—of pierced flesh, Iruka was pinned to the wall of the shack.

All of Iruka's arms and legs were either pierced by kunai and shuriken, or pinned to the wood by his clothes. There were a few particularly nasty ones in his thighs, though nothing life threatening. Naruto mentally glared at the perpetrator. Mizuki smirked down at them from his perch where he stood atop one of the many enormous branches of the trees filling the forests. He was wearing his bandana-style forehead protector, and had two massive shuriken strapped to his back.

"I see you've got the scroll Naruto, congratulations, you pass the test. Now give me the scroll, and you can become Rookie of the Year."

His face a mask of confusion, Naruto cocked his head to the side and adopted a look of shock and worry. "B-but don't I have to show you the jutsu? And what about Iruka-sensei, why'd ya attack him?"

Iruka's eyes widened from his spot against the wall. He seemed to have put the pieces together. Mizuki began to try to reassure Naruto, but Iruka interrupted him. "Don't listen to him Naruto! He's lying! Mizuki is only using you to get the scroll, you have to run, quickly!" Iruka urged, silently pleading with Naruto to run.

Up above, Mizuki cackled insanely, and his face twisted into a malicious smirk.

"I'm lying? _I'm _lying? Come now Iruka, why don't I tell him who's _really_ lying?" Mizuki asked. He looked at Naruto with cruelty in his eyes, obviously trying to do some sort of psychological damage. "Why don't I tell him how you, the villagers, even his precious _Hokage_, has been lying to him his entire life."

A look of mounting horror dawned on Iruka's face. He looked at his former friend, apparently pleading with him not to say what he was planning to.

"No, don't, you know you can't say it Mizuki!" He implored.

In between the two, Naruto was looking back and forth at the two instructors, silently eager. His plan actually seemed to be working itself out. If Mizuki said what he was expecting him to say, then he wouldn't even _need_ and excuse to arrest him.

"What, what is it?" Naruto asked.

Mizuki's grin widened. "The reason everyone hates you. It's a decree, one made thirteen years ago. Everyone knows about it, well, except for _you_ of course." He said, trying to work Naruto up.

"What decree? Why does everyone but me know about it? Why does everyone hate me?" He was throwing fuel on the fire, intent on pushing Mizuki over the edge.

Naruto kept a close eye on the man, as he saw him tensing his muscles as if to reach for one of the shuriken on his back. _'It won't be long now.'_

"The decree is—"

"NO MIZUKI, IT'S FORBIDDEN!"

The traitorous chūnin ignored Iruka, plowing on in his delivery of the news. His smirk became a cruel sneer.

"—that nobody can tell you that the Fourth didn't kill the Kyūbi thirteen years ago. Instead, he sealed it away, inside an infant." Mizuki reached around to grab one of his shuriken from his back. "That infant was you. You_ are_ the nine-tailed demon that destroyed our village thirteen years ago, and murdered Iruka's parents. NOW DIE!"

Mizuki finally let loose, sending the shuriken buzzing through the air at breakneck speeds. Naruto was planning to simply dodge it; but a green and brown blur suddenly shot in front of him. His eyes widened in shock when he saw Iruka preparing to take the blow for him. There was only a split second to decide as the rapidly spinning windmill of death approached the exposed back of one of the few people to treat him decently. In that one moment, Naruto decided to throw his act out the window.

At the exact moment Iruka shut his eyes to prepare for the blow, Naruto vanished from his spot. He reappeared directly behind Iruka. Palm outstretched, fingers spread, he pulsed his magnet release. The gigantic flying buzz saw was brought to a startling halt, still spinning madly mere inches from his fingertips.

With a casual flick, he sent the projectile off course. It embedded itself into a tree off to the side with a loud—_THUNK_. In the deafening silence that followed the shurikens impact, Naruto's words carried a shocking authority and heaviness to them.

"That will be enough of that, Mizuki."

Both chūnin—Iruka from his place on the ground, having opened his eyes and looked around him; and Mizuki, who was staring at Naruto with shock and anger—were taken aback by the sudden change in attitude.

Gone were the kind blue eyes, replaced by cold chips of ice. Mizuki's shock didn't last long, before it was replaced by an expression of pure rage.

"How can you be so calm? Didn't you hear everything I just said? You're the Kyūbi, and everyone hates you!"

"Simple, I've known about the Kyūbi for some time now. Although, I also know that I am not the Kyūbi itself. I am merely its container." Naruto stated. His blunt statement caught the chūnin off guard.

Mizuki gritted his teeth. "Fine—" He spat, "—but give me the scroll! If you do, I might actually spare you and your precious sensei!"

His answer surprised both chūnin. He simply shrugged, as if to say "whatever".

"Very well, catch." He slung the scroll off his back and sent it tumbling end over end in the air towards Mizuki. The traitor caught it with a look of shocked glee and greed.

Naruto heard a horrified gasp behind him, and turned to see Iruka's face etched into a shocked and disbelieving terror. "Naruto, what're you doing?" Naruto turned back to Mizuki with a dismissive, 'che'.

"Don't worry. That's not the real scroll. I just needed a decoy to lure him out here. " His statement was punctuated by an angry howl of indignation from Mizuki. "And he seems to have just discovered this." He said in amusement. He turned back to look at Mizuki.

"What is this?" Mizuki cried. He had the gigantic scroll clutched in his hands, and stared angrily at the blank paper before him.

"An empty scroll. You didn't really think you're clumsy attempt to get me to steal it for you would work, did you?" Naruto asked condescendingly. His comment only served as fuel to the fire that was Mizuki's rage.

"That's it!" Mizuki growled. "I'm through with your back talk! You pathetic little dead-last! I'll show you why little genin shouldn't mess with people as powerful as me!"

Mizuki reached into his supply pouch, and grabbed a handful of shuriken in each hand. His arms tensed, ready to send them hurtling towards the small blond. Iruka shouted out a warning to Naruto, but the Uchiha ignored it. His head dropped down in what appeared to be dejection at the dead-last comment. Spiky golden locks casting his face in shadow.

Mizuki flung his arms forwards and released the small metal instruments of death. A malicious smirk stretched his face as he began to run through hand seals.

"You're through! I learned this jutsu from my master, there's no way you can dodge!" Mizuki cackled in glee.

"**Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!**" He cried. Instantly the eight shuriken multiplied themselves into dozens of metal streaks intent on carving into flesh.

"Naruto, move!" Iruka pleaded urgently. The chūnin tried to get up, but the wounds in his legs caused him to stumble. He was forced to watch as the wall of metal death approached.

"Dead-last? Heh, what a joke," Naruto chuckled. His head snapped upwards and his eyes bored into Mizuki's with an overwhelming intensity. "I'll show you the power that lies behind this pathetic illusion I've put on!"

A haze of visible chakra began to whip about his person, kicking up dust around his feet. At the last possible second, no, the last possible _millisecond_ he had to act to stop the incoming horde of shuriken; Naruto was enveloped in a plume of billowing white smoke.

The shuriken suddenly parted around the pillar of smoke, careening past Naruto and into the forest behind him to embed themselves harmlessly in trees or the ground.

Wisps of smoke began to dissipate, slowly revealing the metamorphosis Naruto had gone through. The silvery rays of moonlight danced on long, jet black hair tied into a high ponytail that brushed the top of his spine. Bangs shadowed his cold, electric-blue right eye. He stood much taller than before, at a height above almost all his classmates. The hideous orange tracksuit was replaced with much darker cloths; a black kimono shirt with a pale lavender in seam, and traditional black shinobi pants taped at the shins. While the white arm guards protected his forearms. But the thing that drew your attention the most was the beautiful white-sheathed katana tucked into the white sash at his waist. Its hilt wrapping was the same pale lavender as the inside of his shirt, and the elegant cross-guard was shaped like a gleaming bronze window pain.

Iruka openly gaped at the intimidating new Naruto.

"N-Naruto, is that you," He stuttered softly in shock. Naruto merely gave him a casual glance and a nod, keeping his gaze on Mizuki the entire time

Mizuki's wide eyes burned with fear and rage. He seemed shaken up, not just by Naruto's new appearance, but by his attack being diverted so easily.

"Wh-what is this, some kind of illusion? Trying to make yourself seem more intimidating?" Mizuki stammered with false bravado. He was obviously trying to convince himself that everything was still in his control, and failing miserably.

"This," Said Naruto. ", is the true me." His voice was deeper, it was soft and yet authoritative. "I've been making everyone believe that I was weak for years, but now I don't have to do that anymore." A sharp ring filled the air as Naruto began to slide his katana from its sheath. He held the gleaming silver blade casually at his side.

"I will only give you one chance to give up peacefully Mizuki. By order of the Hokage, you are placed under arrest for assaulting your fellow Konoha nin, and treason." Naruto said coldly.

The traitorous chūnin's eyes bulged and he clenched his fists so hard that the knuckles turned white. He let out a insane laugh. "Ha, you arrest _me_? Don't act so high and mighty with me, you filthy demon!"

Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"Very well. Then you leave me no choice." Naruto replied. Mizuki opened his mouth to make a snide retort, but instead he let loose a startled gasp as a bruising kick slammed into his back, sending hm hurtling from his perch to the hard ground of the clearing below. His body hit the ground with a dull—_thump_. All the wind was knocked from his lungs in a harsh—_whoosh_—and he was left gasping to try to regain it. He struggled weakly, clawing and scratching his way to stand weakly on his feet, his back supported by the tree behind him.

Up on the branch where Mizuki had stood previously, two clones of Naruto stood looking down on him.

"I'm growing tired of this, so I'll end it quickly." Naruto held his blade out in front of him. "**Scatter, Senbonzakura** **. . .**" He whispered. The blade began to glow with a bright pink light, and seemed to scatter into the air like flower petals. All that was left of the beautiful katana was the handle.

Both Iruka and Mizuki blinked in surprise. "What, was that it?" Mizuki asked derisively. "Your big bad finish is you make your sword disappear? How pathetic can you—_gurk_—"

Blood. Blood was everywhere. In a disturbingly beautiful display, pink petals danced around Mizuki. Numerous cuts tore open all across his body, sending his crimson blood spurting into the air. Mizuki slumped to the ground in a heap, gasping from the pain of his wounds.

Naruto glanced at his clones in the tree. "Patch him up, then take him to the Torture and Interrogation headquarters. They'll be expecting him." He ordered.

They immediately began to act out their orders. Once his clones had left with Mizuki, Naruto let out a sigh of relief. That was finally over with. He reformed the blade of Senbonzakura, and sheathed it once more with a soft—_shink_.

For a moment he stood in silence, enjoying the night air. _Well, as expected, that was rather easy._ A pained gasp from behind him reminded him of the fact that he wasn't alone.

"Are your wounds okay, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked. His facial expression wasn't exactly worried, but it was a good deal softer than when he had been dealing with Mizuki.

Iruka blinked at him owlishly. He still seemed in shock over what had happened.

"Yeah, I just need to get them checked out." Iruka assured him. Naruto smiled slightly.

"Good, I'll have a clone take you to the hospital. I have to go report to Lord Hokage about my mission success." Naruto said, a clone appearing beside him. Iruka nodded, and smiled gratefully as the clone helped him stand up.

"Thanks. I guess I'll see you in a few days at the team assignments. And Naruto—" Naruto quirked an eyebrow when the academy instructor smirked at him. "—you're definitely going to have to explain this whole transformation to me sometime."

"Of course." Naruto agreed. The clone and the academy instructor disappeared in a shunshin, leaving Naruto alone in the clearing once more.

**_Well brat, it looks like you're finally going to show everyone the real you. It'll be amusing to see how many of those pathetic females begin to drool over you._** Said Kurama. Naruto winced at the thought of that. He didn't want any fan girls.

_Don't even joke about that Kurama. _All he got was a snort of amusement from the giant chakra monster.

Naruto looked to the sky with a weary sigh. "Well, I guess I better go get the report to Gramps out of the way."

The day had been rather eventful, and he was eager to be done with it. Tomorrow he would begin to consider who he wanted to choose for his final teammate, but for now, he was content to go to bed. Naruto wasn't sure what exactly the future would bring, but one thing was for certain; his journey to restore his clans honor had finally begun.

With one last glance around the moonlit clearing, Naruto vanished in flicker of speed.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

**Chapter End**

**AN/ Alright, finally got that done. I've been working on it for weeks, and school just kept getting in the way.**

**So Naruto has finally removed his henge, and he's poised to begin to show everyone who he really is. **

**Well, as I mentioned before, I have a couple other ideas I'm working on, so I might put this one on hold for a bit while I work on those. Who knows, I might get inspiration and continue moving through this. Either way, whether it's a new idea or another chapter of this, expect an update in 2-3 weeks. **

**Even if I start a new idea, I don't expect it to be more than a month and a half before I begin working on Uchiha Chronicles again, so don't worry.**

**Now, remember the polls. The one on my profile is to help decide on the pairing in one of my coming fics, it will be open for the foreseeable future.**

**As for the ones in the reviews;**

**The one for the teams will be going until next chapter comes out. Your choices are; A, Cannon Team 7. B, Naruto, Sasuki, and Hinata. Or C, Naruto, Sasuki, and Shino. **

**For the pairing. Would you like it to remain as a double pairing, or be a single pairing? **

**Make sure to review and favorite/follow, and tell me what you thought. Let me know what worked, what didn't, if you saw some way I could've improved. Flames will be ignored, but constructive criticism is more than welcome.**

**Until next time, **

**RinneTaicho, Signing Off!**

**EDIT 4-25-15: Well, that went very quickly. As I thought, this needed the least amount of work. Later I might go back and change Naruto getting to choose his teammates, but for now I'm happy with it.**

**Well, Until next time,**

**RinneTaicho, Signing Off!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Naruto: Uchiha Chronicles**

**AN/ Hey yo, how's it going? Well, here we are with a new chapter for Uchiha Chronicles. It's pretty late, I know, but I got sort of side-tracked with some bad news concerning my grandmothers health.**

**Anyways, so this time, we finally get to team assignments. I expect this chapter might be a bit on the short side, since it's mostly setup for the next chapter.**

**So, as far as polls go, the poll result for teams will happen in this chapter. I figure more than a few people will be unhappy, but I know I can't please everybody, or most likely even most people. In the end, I chose the option I felt would help in the development of all characters the most. I'll explain more once we get to the end of the chapter. Just keep in mind, just because someone is on Naruto's team DOES NOT MEAN they are the second girl I'm considering pairing with Naruto. Quite a few people seem to be assuming that this girl was either Hinata or Sakura. Remember, I said that the second girl wouldn't be appearing until near the end of Part I. **

**As for the other poll in the reviews, about the pairing, I am still keeping that open for now. I don't think I'll close it for a while. **

**Well, I think that's all for now, so, on with the chapter!**

Normal speech: "what"

Extremely loud group/single person shouting: "WHAT!"

Thoughts/Speech taken out of context:_ 'what'_

Letter/Book/Written text: '_What'_

Demon/Summon speech: **"what"**

Demon/Summon thoughts: **_'what_**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or Bleach, that honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Tite Kubo respectively.

**Arc II: Formation of Team 7:**

**Chapter 7: Team Assignments, the Mystery of Naruto!**

* * *

><p><strong>— ₪ <strong>**NUC ₪ —**

"And you're sure about this choice?" Asked Sarutobi. Naruto stood in front of his desk in a relaxed manner while the old kage sat smoking his pipe. The blue-eyed Uchiha nodded surely. He had thought long and hard about his choice in teammate, and in the end chose the person that Sasuki had the best chance of connecting with that would encourage her to be more open.

"Yes, I am. I know there might be . . . tensions, at first, but I'm sure they'll ease after a bit of time as a team."

Sarutobi shrugged, bending over to scratch something down on a piece of paper. "Very well, I'll make sure it's done." He continued writing. When Hiruzen was done he placed the sheet of paper in a tray off to the side and looked at Naruto with a smile. Naruto smiled back

"Thanks Gramps, I appreciate this." He was glad for the support of his grandfather figure. Sarutobi waved a hand dismissively, as if to say 'no big deal'.

"Don't worry about it my boy, you're not the only one who'd like to see Sasuki happy again," Said Sarutobi, taking a drag from his pipe. After exhaling he looked at Naruto with a soft expression. "Tell me, how are you coping? It's only been a month since he passed, and now you're about to start showing your true self in public. That's a lot of change for a young person."

Involuntarily, Naruto felt a lump forming in his throat. He had tried to avoid thinking about his grandfathers death. He swallowed it down with a bit of difficulty. While he wasn't exactly devastated anymore, the wound was still raw. "I'm coping well enough. Sometimes I miss him more than others, but for the most part I'm doing ok. In a way a feel lucky to have known him at all. For all the pain that having him for such a short time has caused, I prefer that to not having known him at all." He smiled softly, remembering his grandfather, and all he had done for him. "And I can also take comfort in the fact that he accomplished what he set out to do when he witnessed my birth. People will finally see his true legacy."

Sarutobi looked relieved, and at the same time confused, by his answer. After a moment he seemed to gain understanding

" . . . I see, so that's why you didn't have your mother's maiden name on your registration. You plan to reveal yourself as an Uchiha soon." Concluded Sarutobi. Naruto smirked at the elderly kage. Leave it to the famed 'Professor' to figure out a plan so easily.

"Yes, I do. I want to restore my clans honor, and that starts with this first step of beginning to show the people of the village who I really am." Sarutobi chuckled at his serious response. Naruto's eyes narrowed in annoyance. That only seemed to cause the old man even more amusement.

"Hehehe, while your goal is admirable, you take yourself far too seriously my boy. You should try to have fun now and then," Said the Hokage. His chuckles died off and he looked at Naruto with a fond gaze. "Still, that drive is what will make you a great leader one day."

Naruto shifted a little uncomfortably under the praise. One of his goals was to become Hokage. To have the current one praise him like that was nice. In his shifting he glanced out the window. His eyes widened slightly when he noticed the suns position in the sky. It was almost midday. He turned to the Hokage with an apologetic look.

"Anyways, it was nice talking with you, but I better get going. I want to try to get that new jutsu I'm working on ready for combat before team assignments." Said Naruto. The two stood up, and bid each other goodbye, with Naruto promising to come see Sarutobi soon.

No sooner had Naruto turned toward the door, when that very same door shot open and a young boy, a tuft of brown hair sticking out of the top of his strange metal helmet, rushed in with a collection of wooden shuriken clutched in his fist.

"OLD MAN, I CHALLENGE YOU!" He shouted, swinging his arm back to throw the shuriken. Unfortunately the boy wasn't looking where he was going, and ended up tripping on the long blue scarf that trailed from around his neck. The boy only had a moment for his eyes to widen in a comical manner, before he was sent tumbling to the ground. "Ugh. What tripped me?" The boy muttered to himself. His voice was slightly muffled by the hands clutching his face in pain.

Naruto couldn't help but feel a bead of sweat roll down the back of his head. _'Is that kid a ninja in training? Who wears a scarf that long and doesn't expect to trip?'_ The sweat drop grew even better when the boy picked himself up off the floor and looked around, and his eyes locked on himself with a heated expression.

"IT WAS YOU! YOU'RE THE ONE THAT TRIPPED ME!" He exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Naruto.

The blue-eyed Uchiha felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance. Who the hell was this brat? Off to the side he heard the Hokage mutter, "Oh boy, here we go. Konohamaru's getting himself into trouble again."

The boy—Konohamaru, presumably—stood with a cocky glare. "Well, what've ya got to say for yourself?"

Naruto looked at the boy with an aloof and cold expression. It seemed to unnerve the boy. He finally seemed to realize that he was talking to a fully qualified ninja.

" . . . It wasn't me that tripped you; it was that ridiculous scarf you're wearing. Perhaps you should watch where your feet fall." Konohamaru's eyes bulged in shock at the blunt answer, and he began to sputter angrily. Apparently not many people had talked to the boy so bluntly. Ignoring the sputtering boy, Naruto turned back to the Hokage. "Well, I'll see you later," He said, waving goodbye.

He walked past the stunned form of Konohamaru and onwards towards the door. Suddenly, a man— who was wearing a bandana forehead protector and small, round sunglasses—rushed in, panting heavily. "Honorable Grandson, there you are. I've been looking all over for—"

The man stopped when his eyes met Naruto's. They immediately snapped to the black-clothed forehead protector hanging around his neck. Similarly, Naruto's locked onto the bandana-style forehead protector on the man's forehead. The two shinobi scrutinized each other. Although Naruto could tell from the way he held himself that the man had experience, he didn't seem to project anything that would suggest he was particularly skilled. It wasn't helped by the dorky appearance his small-round sunglasses gave him. Glancing between him and the boy who he called 'Honorable Grandson', Naruto put the pieces together.

"You're his sensei?" It wasn't so much a question as a statement. The man nodded. ". . . I see, so that must mean—" Naruto glanced at the boy. "—you must be the old man's grandson."

He frowned when the boy began to smirk at him. "You can wipe that smug smirk off your face. It doesn't matter to me who you're related to, you're still a foolish little brat who trips over his own feet."

Without glancing back, he continued on his way out.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Later that day, Naruto decided to take a break from his training to get lunch at his favorite sushi restaurant, the Kintako Lounge. The restaurant was high end in the appearance and the quality of the food, but it had affordable prices. The man that owned it had come to Konoha after his father—then a Kumo ninja—had defected to Konoha during the First Shinobi World War. He and his family ran the place, and they had always made Naruto welcome.

After a delicious lunch of chirashizushi, Naruto bid the family goodbye. He tried to ignore the blushing of the daughter of the owner bowing to him as he left. _The random girls around the village I can understand. But I thought Hikari wouldn't be so affected by my new looks._ He had noticed a lot of the girls he passed around town had taken to giggling and blushing whenever they saw him, it was getting a little annoying. It was also a little weird to have someone he thought of as a sort of sister looking at him in such a way.

Kurama snorted in amusement. **_Please, that little sushi girl has had a thing for you for a while. Your 'new looks', as you put it, just made it more obvious._** Naruto sighed.

Fortunately he was soon granted a distraction. He hadn't gotten far from the restaurant when he noticed a card board box poorly disguised as a rock attempting to follow him. Naruto waited until he had reached the edge of his usual training grounds near the Naka River to address his stalker. " I know you're following me. You can come out now—" He disappeared in the blink of an eye—before his follower could react—and snatched the box with the childish squiggles up off his surprised tail. Naruto's face was blank and bored. "—Konohamaru."

The boy blinked owlishly at him. "Woah, how'd you know it was me?" He asked in amazement.

Naruto snorted. "I noticed you the moment you started following me. I knew it was you because _this_—" He snatched up the scarf around the boys neck. "—was trailing around underneath the box." The boy giggled in a childish, awe-filled way.

"Wow, you must be as good as Gramps said, to be able to find me so easy! I didn't believe him when he told that snooty teacher of mine that you'd already been on an A-ranked mission!" Konohamaru exclaimed. Naruto felt a bead of sweat run down his face.

"While I'm definitely skilled for my age, it had more to do with the fact that your tailing skills are . . . poor." Said Naruto bluntly.

"What!? My sneaking skills are top notch! I cou—" Naruto decided to cut him off with a sharp glare and a slight trace of killing intent that had the boy freezing in place and shivering in slight fear. He didn't want to listen to some long-winded bratty tirade; he had training to do. When he was sure the boy wouldn't resume his complaining, Naruto let up on the killing intent. Deciding to get this over with, he spoke to the boy.

"Why were you following me? If it's for an apology, you can forget it. I have better things to do than pander to some brat." Naruto said with his eyes narrowed. He was almost impressed when Konohamaru didn't wither under the look, but instead made to speak, albeit still shaky. His opinion would change quickly as soon as the sentence left Konohamaru's lips.

"Th-that's not why. Gramps said you were really strong, so I was hoping you'd help me get strong too. Teach me, boss!"

Naruto rubbed his temple as the boy bowed to him in an overly dramatic fashion. Something told him he wasn't going to get to train that day.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

When Naruto entered Konoha Academy room 30 the next day, he could feel an almost palpable excited energy in the air. They all had different ways of expressing it; Some acted like it was any other morning before class, chatting animatedly with their friends. Some of the girls sat in small circles, giggling every few minutes. Others just sat with goofy grins on their faces. Some even sat along, silent and nervous. Only one person seemed to be unaffected by the atmosphere, a certain lazy Nara. No doubt he would find it 'too troublesome' to be excited, and preferred to try and nap.

Nobody really paid attention to Naruto's entry, they were too busy with their own conversations. This gave him a chance to sweep his gaze across the room. He was looking for Sasuki. He found her sitting in a row about halfway down the steps, by one of the large paned windows that took up much of the wall. As usual, he found himself taken with her beauty. His face heated up just slightly. There was a reason why everyone called her the most beautiful young kunoichi in the village.

The sunlight shone through the window and into her blue-tinted ebony tresses, contrasting it boldly with her fair skin. Her bangs framed her delicate facial features, while the rest of her hair cascaded down her neck and shoulders in a slightly spiky-curtain.

Naruto shook his head to clear it. and then strode down the aisle and stood before her row, his face a carefully constructed mask of calm. "Do you mind if I sit here?" He asked.

Everyone was shocked by his boldness. Many had followed his progress down the stairs, and looked at him curiously, but when he spoke to Sasuki, their interest became keen. Likely they were interested in seeing him—who they believed to be some newcomer—try to converse with the girl that had become notorious for her general intolerance of her admirers. She had never, ever let any boy sit by her before, so all assumed he would get the same response as everyone else. That's why her response no doubt her answer was a shock to them.

The Uchiha girl looked at him with a cold, dismissive gaze. Her eyes briefly flickered to Senbonzakura at his waist, before fixing on his own. He cold expression quickly changed when she actually studied his features. Her charcoal eyes widened a fraction. She hid it quickly, looking away in a haughty manner. "Tch, do whatever you want. Just don't annoy me."

Naruto heard many gasps, but he ignored them. He took his seat with a very small smile. Immediately people began to mutter and talk amongst themselves. He could see many boys—mostly Sasuki's long time admirers—glaring his way. He ignored them. Their attempts at intimidating him were nothing compared to Kurama's.

**_Why thank you, I do try to be as terrifying as possible._** Kurama said in a mockingly grateful tone. Naruto snorted. He had grown used to the tailed-beast's snarky attitude.

Despite the drama of his entrance, most people stopped paying attention to him, and went back to their conversations. It wasn't until thirty minutes later, when Kiba Inuzuka arrived with his dog Akamaru perched on his head, that the attention of the gathered genin was placed back on him.

When Kiba took his seat, he noticed Naruto sitting next to Sasuki. "Hey, who're you, new guy?" He asked loudly. The feral boy took a large sniff with his nose. "You smell sorta familiar. But I can't quite put my finger on where I've seen ya before, but you seem pretty strong. That's the only reason I can see Sasuki letting you sit by her," Kiba mused. He seemed a little bitter about Sasuki choosing to let him sit next to her. Naruto looked at Kiba with a blank stare. He frowned when Akamaru barked something to his partner, and Kiba's eyes widened in surprise.

_I'm pretty sure Akamaru was able to figure out who I am by my scent. Guess I need to work better on disguising it. I thought I was able to obscure it when I was acting. _Naruto noted. It wasn't something he was worried about, but he preferred to know his faults.

Sure enough, Kiba choked in surprise, and laughed, "What, no way that's Naruto, get real! This guys chakra is through the roof, no way Naruto's could be that strong." The way he said it was dismissive, as if the thought was absolutely ludicrous. A tick mark developed on Naruto's forehead.

"Akamaru's right, it's me, Naruto." The class was stunned silent. None seemed more stunned than Sasuki, who looked at him with uncharacteristically wide eyes. A few of the others looked at him more closely, noting the whisker marks on his cheeks. Kiba narrowed his animalistic slit eyes in confusion.

"What the heck, are you using a transformation jutsu or something?"

A smirk spread across Naruto's face. "No, this isn't a transformation. It's the absence of one," He answered. Kiba only seemed more confused. "Now if you don't mind, can I sit in peace?" Naruto asked, more like stated. Kiba shrugged, smirking cockily.

"Alright, but don't get any ideas about Sasuki. I'm surprised she's even letting you sit by her. Personally, I'd be worried about your crappy skills rubbing off on me." The boy said jokingly. Naruto's eyebrow twitched at the jab.

**_I hope that mutt continues to push your buttons. It amuses me when you destroy people_** Kurama chuckled. Naruto ignored the fox's comment, and instead chose to pull out a book on ninjutsu creation and read it quietly. He noticed Sasuki glancing at it now and then.

Unfortunately that wasn't the end of the attention being cast on him. It happened once again a short while later, when Ino and Sakura entered the classroom arguing over who would sit by Sasuki. Upon seeing Naruto next to her, and Ino asking who 'the new hottie' was, the girls were floored by when they found out that it was him. The two proceeded to sit near him and Sasuki—Sakura beside him, and Ino in the same seat as Sasuki in the row above—and bombard him with questions; "How did you get so hot."(Ino), "Where did you get that sword? Do you know how to use it?" (Sakura), etc, etc. Naruto skillfully deflected most of them, hoping they'd eventually tire of them and go back to bickering. No such luck.

He sighed in relief when he saw Iruka poke his head through the door and he greeted them. "Hello, is everybody ready to begin?" He asked, walking to his podium. Everyone nodded, some voicing their agreement. Naruto saw Iruka looking at him. Iruka mouthed a 'thank you', and Naruto nodded back. Both were silently acknowledging the event with Mizuki a few days prior.

Iruka cleared his throat, and began his prepared lecture; "Alright, since everyone's here, we can begin. First of all, I want to congratulate you all on becoming ninja. You've all trained very hard, and now you're finally ready to begin duty.

"But your journey has only just begun. Because you're only starting out as ninja, you'll each be placed into squads of three. Each squad will be led by a jōnin; elite ninja with advanced skills. They will help you mature into the fine ninja I know you all can be." Iruka smiled proudly at them all. Naruto gave him a small nod in return. Many of the students began to murmur about this. It was the first the instructors had mentioned squads.

Naruto glanced at Sasuki from the corner of his eyes. He was hoping to see her reaction. He frowned. She looked displeased by the fact she was going to be on a team. _We're going to have to work on that. No doubt she thinks we'll hold her back_.

Iruka waited for the murmuring to die down before he began to list the teams.

"I will now call out your teams." Iruka held up a clipboard. He began to rattle off names, ignoring the reactions of the genin. Some complained about not being on teams with someone they wanted to be on, others were ecstatic to be with a certain friend. Naruto ignored it for the large part, waiting impatiently for his team to be announced. While he already knew who his teammates were, he wanted to get it out of the way. Finally, Iruka announced the team number he knew to be his,

"Next up is Team 7. Team 7 will be, Naruto Uzumaki—," Naruto smirked slightly. "—Sasuki Uchiha—," Sasuki, not one to show emotion, turned away with a huff of annoyance. "—and Sakura Haruno." A loud cheer rang out.

Iruka listed off the last two teams quickly. Naruto could tell he was eager to have this part out of the way. He imagined hearing everybody have some sort of complaint about their team mad this one of his least enjoyable tasks of the day. Team 8 was Kiba, Hinata, and Shino Aburame, of the Aburame Clan. Naruto respected the quiet bug user more than most. Behind that high-collared coat and small sunglasses was a sharp and skilled mind, perfect for a shinobi. Team 10 was rather predictable for Naruto Ino got paired with Shikamaru and Chōji. The Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi.

After Iruka left—telling them they had two hours for lunch, before their jōnin sensei arrived—Naruto looked around at the teams, and began to evaluate them. He knew that only a few teams could actually become genin.

As far as he was concerned, Teams 1-6 weren't very likely to pass. Those teams contained the majority of the mid to low ranked students, many with civilian backgrounds. Naruto found that most lacked the dedication to be serious ninja.

That just left the three teams that consisted of most of the clan children. Kiba, Hinata, and Shino were likely to pass, he assumed. Their skills would complement each other, and lead to a strong tracking team. While Kiba was perhaps a bit too brash, and Hinata a bit too shy, Shino's quiet logic would be a good mediator.

Then there was Team 10. Naruto thought that their passing would be like his teams, a foregone conclusion. They had known each other for years, and their clans jutsus were used best in collaboration with each other.

Finally he looked at his own teammates. While Sasuki was standoffish, and often times cold, he knew she was very skilled. If he could just get through to her, and bring out that kindness, he knew she would be a fantastic teammate. Sakura, on the other hand, had little in the way of skills, outside of academics. She had potential, but she would need a lot of work. All she needed to do was get serious. That left himself. With him being there, he was sure he could push both to improve and cooperate. In the end, he was confident they would pass. He hadn't pretended to be an idiot for years just to fail.

While all the rest of the students were streaming out to go get lunch, Naruto stayed where he was, and unsealed a bento and prepared to eat. _Now, to see what this 'Kakashi Hatake' is like._

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Naruto found out one thing about his new sensei soon after lunch. The man wasn't a fan of being on time. He had only just picked them up ten minutes ago, after making them wait for four and a half hours. _This guy better not be late all the time, or I'm going to use Senbonzakura to shred that stupid book of his. _Naruto vowed to himself. Kakashi sat across from Naruto and his teammates, leaning against the railing lining the roof.

"So, now that we're all here, why don't we introduce ourselves?" asked Kakashi nonchalantly. Naruto looked at him coldly.

If he didn't know about the man's reputation, he would have never believed this apparently lazy man was a high level ninja. He didn't strike a very imposing figure. In a way, he reminded Naruto of a scarecrow; tall and lean, with a shock of gravity defying silver hair, and a single eye lazily reading a small orange book in his hand.

"Um, what do you want to know?" Asked Sakura.

Kakashi shrugged. "Like, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future. That sort of stuff." He answered.

"How about you go first, sensei," suggested Naruto. He was curious to see what the silver-haired man would choose to say about himself.

Kakashi looked up from his book, and shrugged. "Sure, why not," he said. "My name is Kakashi Hatake. What I like and what I hate? I don't wanna talk about it, Dreams for the future? Haven't really thought about it. As for hobbies ...I have lots of hobbies." There was silence after the underwhelming introduction.

"Now, your turn, on the left." Said Kakashi, pointing at Sakura.

"My name's Sakura Haruno. Um, the things I like? I like books, my parents, and Sasuki, cause she's such an amazing Kunoichi!"Sakura gushed, looking over at Sasuki, who was ignoring her. "I hate Ino-pig, and the guys who are always hitting on Sasuki and annoying her. Reading is my only real hobby. My dream for the future," She looked at Sasuki again and blushed. "I want to be as good a kunoichi as Sasuki, and to beat Ino-pig."

Naruto looked at Sakura carefully, something he noted Kakashi doing as well. _Hmm, just as I thought, she really looks up to Sasuki to an almost reverent degree. That can be used to motivate her._

"Alright, thanks for that. Next, you, Ms. Broody." Said Kakashi, pointing at Sasuki to Naruto's right. Both of the female members of the team glared at him.

"My NAME, is Sasuki Uchiha," She growled, trying to kill him with her glare alone. Naruto thought she looked rather cute when she was mad. "I don't have very many things likes, but I hate a lot of things." Sasuki shot an annoyed look at Sakura. It went unnoticed. "Dreams? I guess you could say I have a couple." She shifted uncomfortably. She looked a bit embarrassed, to Naruto. He almost missed the first part of what she said, because it was said so quietly. "I-I want to be an even greater kunoichi than my mother, and rebuild my clan. As for the second," Sasuki grit her teeth and all traces of embarrassment were gone. She glared an dark, murderous glare. "It's not a dream, for I _will_ make it a reality. I'm going to kill a _certain someone."_

Naruto frowned. For a second, he had seen a glimpse of the kinder side of Sasuki. Seeing that kindness so quickly enveloped by rage and hate left him sad. It seemed almost unnatural for a girl that had once been so kind, to have such a darkness in them.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Um, okay. On that happy note, you," He said sarcastically. Kakashi squinted at Naruto. "You look different than I expected. Did you do something to your hair?" He asked dumbly. Naruto felt a drop of sweat roll down the back of his head. Was Kakashi ever serious? He shook his head. "Oh well, then go ahead with your introduction."

Naruto looked at Kakashi strangely, but spoke nonetheless. He spoke in the same calm manner he had since he had entered the classroom that day. "My name, is Naruto. I like sushi, training and . . . certain people," His teammates and sensei looked at him curiously, but he refused to meet their gaze, closing his eyes. "I hate spicy foods, bad sushi, and idiots," He ignored the raised eyebrows at that last comment. "As for my dreams for the future, I have several."

Kakashi's eyebrow rose so high it threatened to disappear underneath his forehead protector. "Several dreams, eh? Care to share any of them?"

Naruto shrugged. "I suppose I could," He said. Naruto steepled his hands in front of his face. "Like Sasuki, my dreams aren't just dreams, but ambitions. I want to restore my clan to prominence, and become the first from my clan to be Hokage," He hesitated before sharing his last dream. "I'd also like to help a certain someone with some issues." This vague statement confused his teammates. Sasuki in particular, looked at him with that same frustrated puzzlement. But none of them asked Naruto to clarify it at all. Not that he would if they did.

"Alright, good. It seems you're all unique with your own ideas. We'll have our first mission tomorrow." Said Kakashi. He folded his arms.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the man. _Mission? He must be talking about the second genin test. I wonder what kind he'll use?_ He wondered. Ever since he had learned of the tradition of a second genin test, he had done his homework on the different kinds. He found three; first, and most common, was overall skills, and the potential as a team. Second, was intelligence and tactics, ability to see through deception and then counter it. The third, and final one, was the hardest of all. A test that combined the first two, and put the individuals teamwork to the ultimate test. It pitted the teammates against each other, and forced them to put the team before themselves, or fail. _Hopefully it's one of the first two. The third, might be an issue so soon after we've become a team._

Sakura and Sasuki—who he knew had no idea what was going on—looked at Kakashi curiously. "What's the mission, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"It's a task, that the four of us will be doing together." Kakashi said vaguely.

"What kind of task?"

"A survival exercise," Kakashi answered. Naruto narrowed his eyes at Kakashi. His pulse began to quicken.

_Survival training? _He cursed. _The way he's wording it. I have a bad feeling about this. _He began to wonder. Could Kakashi possibly be planning to give them the third kind of test?

"What! Survival training? We did that in the academy. I thought we were supposed to start real missions now, not more practice!" Sakura protested. Her sentiments were shared by Sasuki; Naruto could almost feel the annoyance radiating off of her. She glared at Kakashi even more than when he had called her "Ms. Broody".

Kakashi wasn't fazed by Sakura and Sasuki's annoyance. "This is not like your previous training," He said mysteriously.

Sasuki grunted in annoyance. "Tch, then what kind of training is it?" She asked rudely. Kakashi began to chuckle. It wasn't a normal chuckle, but a slightly malicious one, that set Naruto on edge, and caused the hairs on the back of his neck to raise.

"Hey, that's a normal question," Sakura protested. "What's so funny?" Kakashi's chuckles simply escalated to full blown laughter. Naruto's two teammates grit their teeth, and Naruto was almost afraid Sasuki would snap and attack the man soon.

"Hehehe, if I tell you the answer, you're not going to like it, hehehe," He said ominously. Kakashi looked at them seriously. "Out of the twenty-seven graduates who just came, only nine of you will actually be accepted as genin. The rest will be eliminated, and sent back to the academy," Kakashi told them. Sakura and Sasuki's eyes bulged in shock. "In other words, this is a make it or break it test, with a sixty-six percent chance of failure. See—look at you're faces—I told you told you you wouldn't like it."

"WHAT!" Shrieked Sakura. "We worked hard to graduate, you can't just send us back! What about the test we just took, was that for nothing?" She protested.

Before Kakashi could speak, Naruto answered her question for him. He had forced himself to maintain his calm, and think through the situation rationally. Once he did, he realized all he had to do was try and counter Kakashi's mental games.

"Don't you see?" He said. "That was just to see which of us had the _potential_ to be genin. This is the real test." He said grimly. His teammates gaped at his calm answer. Kakashi nodded to him thankfully.

"How can you be so calm about this, Naruto?" Asked Sakura. He shrugged. Although he wasn't particularly thrilled about the type of test they were taking, he was determined that they would pass. And he said such.

"I'm calm because no matter what, we will be among those nine genin." He said simply, trying to reassure his teammates. Naruto looked at Kakashi pointedly."No matter what kind of mind games or tricks this guy plays, I won't let them beat me, or you, you can rest assured—" Naruto began looked at them confidently. He could see the doubt and disbelief on their faces. That would change after tomorrow. He turned to look at Kakashi intensely. His last message was more for him than Sasuki and Sakura. "—we _will_ become genin, and if he underestimates me," Naruto chuckled darkly. "He will discover just how skilled I am."

Kakashi eyed him with a calculating look. Clearly, he hadn't been expecting Naruto to be the calmest and most confident of the group. _Just as well. It'll be that much easier if he's thrown off by my demeanor._

His teammates too, stared at him strangely. Kakashi broke up the silence following his declaration by clearing his throat.

"Alright then. You're to meet at the designated training ground tomorrow at 6:00 am. " Kakashi ordered. Naruto nodded in understanding, alongside his teammates. Their sensei stood and turned to leave. At the last moment, he turned back and spoke, as if he just remembered. "Oh yeah, and I'd suggest you skip breakfast. If you eat, you'll just puke it up later." The man ignored the disgusted looks on the girls faces, and waved merrily. "Well, see ya later," He said, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

The three students sat silently following his departure. Naruto was deep in thought about the jōnin. Kakashi made it seem like he was a lazy lout, but he was far from it. All of his actions today had been meant to manipulate them for the test. _And this thing about breakfast is the coup de grâce. He wants us to be as worn down as possible to make passing and grasping what we need to do harder. No doubt he'll be late as well. _Naruto concluded. _Well I think I'll disrupt his plans . . ._

Naruto stood and looked at his teammates. "You can do what you want, but _I'm_ going to disregard his last suggestion. After all, we'll need our strength for whatever he has planned." Naruto told them. His teammates looked like they wanted to question him, but he didn't give them a chance. "I'll see you tomorrow. I need to go train."

He vanished in a blur of speed, leaving nothing but a quiet whisper of wind in his wake, and two wide-eyed teammates. The mystery of Naruto had begun for them.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

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><p><strong>Chapter End<strong>

**AN/ Whew, finally finished. Sorry it took so long. Anyways, I'll start working on the next chapter either today or tomorrow, expect about 2-3 weeks for that. **

**Anyways, as stated at the beginning, I'll explain the reason I went with the cannon Team 7, despite the fact that Naruto had the option of picking his teammate. The original reason I did this was because I wasn't quite sure how to deal with Sakura's character, so I was looking for other options in case I really drew a blank on that. I chose this option because I felt it was best for the development of all characters. As you can see, Sakura looks up to Sasuki. This will lead to her being pushed to improve herself to be as strong as her and Naruto. At the same time, once Sakura starts acting more like a real Kunoichi, Sasuki will have someone to relate to easier as far as female friends would go. **

**This is why I didn't choose Hinata; I felt that between Sasuki looking down on her and degrading her, and Naruto's slightly more aloof manner and the shock of finding out her crush wasn't who she thought, she wouldn't be able to grow in a way that would make all members of Team 7 better, and help Sasuki become less hateful. I didn't choose Shino for similar reasons; he wouldn't have helped the development of the other characters, and I felt it would have weakened Team 8 to too much a degree.**

**Now that that's out of the way, The other two polls are still up, the one on my profile, and the one about the pairing in reviews.**

**There's only one more bit of news; I'm going to be working on another idea soon. It won't get written for a bit, but outlining will begin. This is the fic with Naruto paired with Fem-Shikamaru. as requested by the winner of the contest to guess the second girl. The basic concept is that Naruto possesses the Dead Bone Pulse of the Kaguya, through his mother, and is the great-grandson of Tobirama through his father. He'll be a brilliant tactician, skilled in water and wind jutsu(although eventually he'll have a minor lightning one), and in general be a more mature individual than the cannon Naruto; somewhere in-between the Naruto in my Deep Forest Chronicles, and the Naruto from this fic. **

**So, that's all the for now, hope you enjoyed the chapter, stay tuned for more. Make sure to review. Tell me what worked, what didn't, what you noticed that I could work on to improve my writing.**

**Until then,**

**RinneTaicho, signing off! **

**P.S. For those who've read the story before, I've edited the first six chapters to fit the same style as this one. The biggest change is that I cut out about 5000 words in chapter 2, mostly flashbacks. Essentially nothing else has changed, so you don't really need to reread them if you don't want.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Naruto: Uchiha Chronicles**

**AN/ Hey yo, RinneTaicho back again, this time with the final chapter of the second arc of this fic. After this, it's on to the Wave Mission. Basically, this will cover the bell test, which I think I'll be able to get done in one chapter, we'll see after I get started.**

**So, not much in the way of news. I might do a chapter of Deep Forest Chronicles after this chapter is done. **

**As always, after reading, make sure to leave me a review and tell me what worked, what didn't, if you saw anything that needs work. Reviews really help me hammer out the plot and improve my skills, so the more the better.**

**Now, on to the chapter!**

Normal speech: "what"

Extremely loud group/single person shouting: "WHAT!"

Thoughts/Speech taken out of context:_ 'what'_

Letter/Book/Written text: '_What'_

Demon/Summon speech: **"what"**

Demon/Summon thoughts: **_'what_**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or Bleach, that honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Tite Kubo respectively.

**Arc II: Formation of Team 7:**

**Chapter 8: The Bell Test, Team 7 Forms!**

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><p><strong>— ₪ <strong>**NUC ₪ —**

The sun had just barely begun to rise when Naruto got to the designated training ground. Dim early morning light filled the air, and the calls of birds going merrily about their business sounded all around. His two teammates were there before him, They waited groggily for their sensei by a trio of training posts.

"Good morning," He greeted them. Naruto frowned when they didn't respond. Sasuki seemed too tired to even grunt in acknowledgement, and Sakura was struggling to stay awake, and gave him a weak "Hey". There was a distinct lack of energy, unusual despite how early it was. He could only think of one reason for it; they hadn't eaten breakfast. Surely they hadn't decided to follow Kakashi's orders? Unfortunately, when he asked them, the two loud gurgling growls, and Sasuki's response, confirmed it for him.

"Of course we didn't! Kakashi said we shouldn't," Sasuki said, glaring at him in annoyance.

Naruto looked at them with a raised eyebrow. It was a good thing he had expected this, he had come prepared for such an occurrence. Going over to one of the training posts, he unsealed a wrapped bundle from one of his guards with a light—_poof_. His teammates looked at him curiously, there noses twitched when the aroma of food hit them. Two fierce growls that had both girls blushing erupted from their stomachs.

"We're about to go into an survival test, with a jōnin involved, presumably as the enemy," Naruto explained to them, unwrapping the bundle to reveal two bento boxes. He held one out to each of the girls with a pointed stare. "I think you might need a bit of strength," He said blandly. The girls hesitated before taking the boxes, giving him muttered thanks. They sat down in a circle as Sakura and Sasuki broke into their bentos. Sakura immediately dug in with gusto, but Sasuki stared at her food in surprise.

". . . There's grilled tomatoes," Sasuki looked at him with wide eyes. "How'd you know they were my favorite?" She asked, drawing Sakura's curious gaze. Naruto tried to play it off as a coincidence.

"Oh, are they? I had no idea. I make those a lot, they're a good source of vitamin A and C," He explained. Sasuki nodded in understanding.

Once the girls had gotten a good ways into their meal, Naruto decided to broach the subject of their upcoming test. When he brought it up, Sakura and Sasuki looked at him strangely.

"The test? What about it?" Sakura asked, taking a bite of tamagoyaki. He felt Sasuki's gaze locked on him while he answered.

"I'm pretty sure I know what it is," He said, flooring them with the bomb shell. Both looked at him incredulously.

"How could you possibly know what the test is?" Sakura asked skeptically.

Naruto had been prepared for her question, and answered her without missing a beat. "I did my homework on Kakashi, especially his past prospective genin teams. He gave each the exact same test, one based on teamwork." He told them, explaining all he knew of Kakashi and his test. Both of them had skeptical looks on their faces, understandable given what was at stake. Sasuki was the one to voice their doubts.

"What if you're wrong?" She asked, clearly not completely convinced. "Even if you're right, I'm not going back to the academy because you two couldn't pull your weight. Thanks for the food, but I'm better off on my own." Sasuki said. She handed him back the bento box and stood up. Naruto stood with her, and narrowed his eyes at her. He had expected resistance from Sasuki; she was used to doing things alone. He couldn't allow it to get in the way of them passing, though.

"Fine then, what if we were to make a deal?" He asked. She glared at him slightly, but motioned for him to tell her his deal.

"I fight Kakashi one-on-one. If I impress you, you guys agree to go along with my plan." He said bluntly. Sasuki looked at him with narrowed eyes. Naruto met his fellow Uchiha's hardened stare without flinching or backing down. Tension began to build between them, almost like an intangible lightning. He continued to look directly into Sasuki's eyes until she finally broke the stare with a scoff.

"Fine. Tell us this plan, but I'm not guaranteeing anything. You've got one chance to impress me, otherwise, you're on your own." Sasuki said harshly. Sakura nodded in agreement with her.

Naruto gave his teammates a small smirk. He knew he could impress them easily. "That's all I ask. Now, the plan starts with—"

As he began to outline his plans to his surprised teammates, Naruto was planning for his confrontation with Kakashi.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Luckily for Naruto, he had brought his scroll on Shape Transformation. It gave him something to do during the dreary wait for their tardy sensei. His teammates, who hadn't brought something to occupy the time, had to wait in frustration. Naruto had nearly finished his scroll when Kakashi finally arrived. He didn't make a flashy entrance. True to his seemingly lax nature, he simply appeared in front of them and waved pleasantly. "Hey there. Is everyone ready for today's test?"

A visible vein throbbed on Sakura's forehead. Naruto could tell she was barely restraining herself from yelling at him for being so late. Instead, she settled for a more sedate, yet still peeved, "Hey, you're late!" Kakashi chuckled sheepishly.

"Yes, well, a black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the long way around." Kakashi explained. Naruto, along with his teammates, stared at Kakashi in disbelief. That was the most blatantly false excuse he had ever heard! _He could at least put some effort into it._

"Anyways, since everyone is here, let's get started," Kakashi said, getting their attention. He walked over to the center training post and placed an alarm clock on top. A soft jingling sound rang out as he pulled a pair of bells from the pouch on his hip. "The test is simple. You have to get one of these bells from me before noon when that timer goes off. Those who get a bell will get to become ninja, and get to eat lunch. The one who doesn't will be tied to a post and be sent back to the academy. You're allowed to use any weapon. Come at me with the intent to kill, otherwise you'll never get a bell." He explained

Naruto met his teammates eyes, and they shared a significant look. He received a miniscule nod from both of them. They had seen that he was right about the test, and now everything was set. They broke eye contact before Kakashi could notice anything. To Naruto's relief, it seemed he hadn't.

"So, any questions before we get started?" Asked Kakashi. Sakura rose her hand hesitantly. Kakashi smiled at her, and said, "Yes, Sakura?"

"If we use kunai and shuriken, won't we hurt you?" She asked. Kakashi chuckled and waved a hand dismissively. Naruto himself was surprised at her question. Perhaps she needed to learn more besides just academic knowledge.

"Oh, don't worry. Your attacks'll probably be too pathetic to hurt me anyways." If looks could kill, Naruto was sure that Kakashi would have been dead ten times over from the glares Sasuki and Sakura leveled at him. He could see that Sasuki was straining not to reach for her kunai pouch. "Now, if there aren't any more questions. We'll start on my mark," Kakashi told them. A tenseness fell over them, and Naruto felt his heart beat quicken. He tensed his leg muscles in preparation to spring away as soon as Kakashi gave the signal to start. His teammates did the same.

Kakashi let their apprehension build, he took turns staring at them with a surprising seriousness in his one eye. Finally, he gave the word. "Start!"

Before the word had even dropped completely from Kakashi's lips, the three were in motion. Naruto was the fastest of the three. He pushed off the ground hard and disappeared into the foliage with a single leap. The first thing he did was suppress his chakra so that Kakashi couldn't find him that way. From his new vantage point in the trees, he could see his teammates taking their hiding places as well. The wait to see who would strike first began.

Naruto took a small amount of time to create clones to tell him when his teammates agreed to follow his plan. He then turned his attention to Kakashi. By now, the silver-haired jōnin had pulled out a small orange book, and he was reading it avidly. He recognized the book, and he wasn't exactly the biggest fan. He decided to make the first move.

Naruto abandoned his cover by standing up. He pointed his index finger at Kakashi's book. "**Byakurai!**" he whispered. The reaction was instantaneous; a fierce crackling beam of lightning burst from his finger tip and flew towards Kakashi.

For a moment, Naruto thought the attack might actually hit. It was not to be. At the last second, Kakashi stepped to the side and pulled his book out of harm's way. The beam flew wide, and impacted into the ground, gouging a fist-sized hole several feet deep. Naruto didn't let his attacks failure faze him. He drew Senbonzakura from its sheath, and blasted down the tree in a blur of motion. In less than a second he had moved in on Kakashi. He tried to slash him from shoulder to hip, but Kakashi reacted swiftly. He spun around and whipped out a kunai. The jōnin braced himself, and blocked the blow of Naruto's full sized katana with the small blade. Naruto rolled with the block. He ducked down and swiped at the bells hanging from Kakashi's jacket. Kakashi's one good eye widened in surprise, and he leapt away swiftly.

When they were separated, Kakashi regarded him with a shrewd gaze. "You're awfully skilled with that sword," he remarked. "I'm curious, where'd you learn that lightning jutsu? I've never seen anything quite like it ," Kakashi asked, lazily reading his book while keeping his eye on Naruto. Naruto began to chuckle. Kakashi frowned and said, "What, did I say something funny?"

"Hehehe, yes, you did," said Naruto, a mysterious grin on his lips. He felt like a cat about to eat a particularly juicy canary. Kakashi had know idea just how far his knowledge of jutsu went. "I didn't _learn_ that jutsu. I _created _it. Along with this one." he said. He took a hand off of Senbonzakura and pointed his index finger at Kakashi. " **Rikujōkōrō!**" He intoned.

Six beams of pale yellow light shot towards Kakashi. They enlarged into six slivers, wide and flat. They pierced Kakashi in the sides and produced a small cloud of smoke. Naruto frowned. _That's not a reaction of Rikujōkōrō. He must've used a substitution._ His suspicions were confirmed when the smoke cleared and revealed a log being suspended by his jutsu.

"Very interesting. It seems it's not just your looks that are different from the file on you." Naruto spun on his heel and held Senbonzakura up defensively. Kakashi was leaning up against a tree and reading his book. "Hmm, I suppose I won't be able to read Icha Icha against you," he said regretfully. Naruto grit his teeth. So far, he hadn't shown much besides relatively good reflexes. He needed to up the ante to fulfill his part of the deal.

_This guy is good. I didn't even sense him until he spoke. I'll have to keep my senses on high alert. I might also need _that_ jutsu. _Despite his misgivings, Naruto maintained a confident front. "Talk all you like Kakashi, but don't think you've seen the limits of my ability. Those jutsu were mere parlor tricks compared to my true strength." He held Senbonzakura out in front of him vertically. "You did well enough against this blade when it was merely one. Let's see how you do when it becomes thousands. **Scatter, Senbonzakura!**"

Senbonzakura's blade scattered into fragments. The light that reflected off of them made them look like pink cherry blossoms scattering in the wind. Only the handle remained in Naruto's hand. He used it to guide the swarm of fragments towards Kakashi. The cloud of pink branched into thick tendrils that snapped towards the tree and engulfed it. Kakashi leapt away from the tree just before the 'petals' of Senbonzakura reached him.

And thus began a complex game of cat and mouse. Naruto would send the blade fragments at Kakashi, and he would dodge them. There were close calls, but Kakashi always escaped. Naruto never relented in his assault. Despite the fact that it looked like Kakashi was on his heels, his sensei had yet to go on offense, and all he had to show for it were a few minor scratches. _He's pretty good. Even without the sharingan, he can dodge Senbonzakura._ Naruto thought with grudging admiration.

Kakashi was the one to break the "stalemate". He spoke to Naruto while dodging a series of attacks on the surface of the nearby river. "You're good, I'll give you that, but you still aren't near my level" Kakashi lectured. Out of nowhere he used a substitution to escape from Naruto's barrage, and appeared crouched behind Naruto with his hands in the tiger seal. "You need quicker reflexes. **Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu: One Thousand Years of Death!**" He shouted, and shoved his fingers forward to try and poke Naruto . . . somewhere unpleasant.

Naruto's lip curled in distaste. Kakashi must've thought very little of him to use such an attack and expect it to do something. It was time to show Kakashi a glimpse of his true skills. In that split second before Kakashi's finger poke hit, Naruto's form flickered and then vanished. Kakashi was left in an uncomfortable position with his arms extended.

In a strange reversal of roles, Naruto flickered back into being behind Kakashi, with his hands clasped together in the same seal Kakashi used. "**Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!**" A giant ball of yellow and orange flame billowed from his mouth and hit Kakashi at point blank range.

_WHOOSH_

The log Kakashi had replaced himself was reduced to cinders in seconds. _Damn. I can't get the drop on him, he just keeps anticipating me and dodging._ That fact was a blow to his pride. He grunted in annoyance and dodged the pair of hands that emerged from the ground and tried to ensnare him. Kakashi emerged, and they faced off once more. Naruto felt vindicated seeing the scorching on Kakashi's still slightly smoking jacket. It seemed he _had_ gotten to him.

There was no hint of the lazy Kakashi left, as he said, "Looks like took my advice about coming at me with the intent to kill. If that fire jutsu had hit, it would've done serious damage, and that speed technique was unlike anything I've seen. Where do you learn all these things?" Naruto remained silent. He didn't need to give out any more information until the fight was over. Kakashi took his silence in stride. With a hint of his former lazy bravado, Kakashi said, "Oh well, don't tell me then. It doesn't change the fact that you won't get a bell. I told you, you alone can't beat me."

Naruto had to withhold a smirk. He feigned anger for Kakashi's sake. "You can stop the mind games Kakashi! I'm more than a match for you!" He saw the flash of disappointment in Kakashi's eye. Clearly he still thought Naruto was trying to get a bell alone. _He can keep thinking that. That last attack should have convinced Sakura and Sasuki to use my plan. This'll all be over soon_.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

One of Naruto's clones moved swiftly and silently through the foliage swiftly. He and his brother had been created to find out if Naruto had impressed them enough to work with him. His brother was tasked with finding out what Sakura's answer was. His was to get Sasuki's. They had laid low until they had seen the original give Kakashi the glancing blow from the fireball jutsu.

It didn't take long to track Sasuki down, he had been tracking her chakra signature throughout the fight. Sasuki jumped in alarm when he alighted on the tree branch next to her. With speed he hadn't expected, she spun on him with a kunai drawn and ready to slash out his throat. He deftly caught her wrist and shakily held it away from his neck. Her strength was impressive. The clone felt his pulse quicken

"Whoa, calm down, it's just me," said the clone, holding up the hand that wasn't holding her wrist to show he wasn't a threat. Sasuki blinked, and studied his face for a moment. She glanced over her shoulder real quick to look at the other Naruto facing off with Kakashi in the clearing, then she looked back at him with confusion in her dark eyes. The question was obvious; how was he in two places at once?

"I'm a clone," he explained. Sasuki accepted the answer with a careful nod. The pressure slowly eased, and he let go of her hand. Her hand returned to rest at her side, the kunai still gripped in her fist.

The raven-haired girl glared at him with annoyance. "Why did you sneak up on me?" she growled.

He swept a hand through his hair to settle himself down. "I'm here to get your answer about the plan," the clone said. She was taken off guard by the reminder of their deal.

"Oh." She didn't offer him an answer, It was apparent she was still pondering what she had seen him do. He asked the question more clearly.

"Well, do you have an answer?" He asked.

Sasuki bit her lip. She considered the question for several minutes. He got more impatient as each passed. Surely it wasn't so hard to give the logical answer? Finally, she let loose a frustrated sigh, and said, "Fine, but you better be right. I'm not going to let some loser like you get in my way of passing."

Despite her harsh words, there was an uncertainty beneath the hardness in her eyes that revealed to him how she was feeling. She was putting a lot of faith in him, more than she was used to giving anyone since the massacre. He had to make sure that faith wasn't wasted.

He gave her a solid nod, and a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, we'll pass for sure just follow the plan," he said. Sasuki gave him one last nod, and the clone dispersed. He received a rush of memories that told him his brother had succeeded as well.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

The memories of his clones hit him. It was time to enact the plan. Naruto took a momentary pause to collect himself. His lungs heaved lightly for air. Kakashi stood across from him. _He_ looked completely fresh.

"You've been at this for some time. Perhaps you should give it a rest." Kakashi suggested. Naruto regarded Kakashi silently. His electric blue eyes were cold as glaciers. He slowly raised the handle of his katana. The methodical movement caused Kakashi tense and prepare for an attack. It wasn't. His intent wasn't to attack. The fragments of Senbonzakura flew back towards the hilt, and rapidly coalesced back into a single, seamless blade. As soon as it was fully formed Naruto placed it back in its sheath.

Kakashi looked at the blade with interest. "That really is an odd sword," he said. "How does it work?"

Naruto scoffed. "Do you really expect me to answer that?"

Kakashi shrugged, as if to say, 'It was worth a shot'. "I suppose it doesn't matter," Kakashi mused. Naruto looked at him sharply. "You're going to fail anyways. As special as that sword is, it won't help you win. Have you realized that as well? Is that why you're stopping your attack?"

Naruto's eyebrows knit together in annoyance. Would this man ever stop nagging about quitting? He suddenly smiled at Kakashi rather nastily. He knew how to shut Kakashi up. His teammates were in place, and it was time to show Kakashi who he was dealing with. He began to perform hand seals at a blistering pace. "**Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!**"

A howling wind kicked up, and he directed it to Kakashi. It was strong enough to begin tearing up the ground. Kakashi muttered something to himself, but Naruto couldn't hear it over the noise of his technique. He did hear Kakashi's call to him as he kept his feet stuck to the ground using chakra. "What's your plan, blow the bells off my waist?" Kakashi asked him derisively.

"I was thinking something more along the lines of _burning_ them off." Naruto answered back, as Sasuki appeared above him with her hands clasped in a familiar seal.

He took pleasure in the widening of Kakashi's when Sasuki let loose her impressive fireball jutsu. It engulfed his own jutsu, and the two techniques united to become a raging inferno of such intense heat that it sucked the moisture from the air. Sasuki landed next to him. There was a satisfied smirk on her face. "You think that shook him up?"

The fire had died down, and only shifting smoke remained. Naruto frowned. There was no sign of Kakashi yet.

"Maybe, stay on alert," he ordered. Sasuki grunted in annoyance, but complied. Their eyes flicked back and forth, searching for any hint of Kakashi's location. A faint sound reached Naruto's ears, one that barely registered; a slight shifting of earth. _There!_ He reacted instantly. Senbonzakura was whipped from its sheath and set to levitate in front of him.

"**Tenran!**" A simple touch from Naruto set the blade to spinning clockwise in the air, like some deadly fan. From the center, a horizontal tornado was released that blew away the smoke from their combination technique. Kakashi stood there in the center, perfectly unscathed. From the small mound of upturned earth around Kakashi, Naruto deduced that he had protected himself with a few hastily constructed earth walls. Kakashi eyed them a bit nastily.

"I'll give you this," he said, a slight exasperation straining his voice from the constant barrage of attacks. "That co—"

"Now Sakura!" Naruto cut Kakashi off mid sentence. On all sides, a hail of simultaneous kunai and shuriken flew towards Kakashi, the deadly metal points seeking to dig into his flesh and draw blood. It forced him to do something he had avoided most of the fight; get in range for a taijutsu battle.

Naruto and Sasuki were quick to capitalize. They moved in on Kakashi, and began to bombard him with blows. One second he would catch a high kick from Naruto, and then the next he would be forced to let go and jump over a low sweep from Sasuki. The two also covered for each other. When he managed to land a blow that set one of them off balance, the other stepped up and kept him from pressing the advantage, or escaping.

Despite the fact that they were holding their own, Naruto felt frustrated. He could feel the seconds ticking by, almost like there was a giant clock in his head. _Tick tock._ _Tick tock._ _Tick tock._ Each Imaginary second drove him mad. Naruto took a glance at the clock on the training post, and his pulse quickened. They only had five more minutes.

He caught Sasuki's eye, and motioned to the clock with a jerk of his head. She glanced at it, and gave him an understanding nod. The two broke away slightly.

"We have to end this now. It's time we play our trump card. I'll let myself get hit, and then you loosen the bells. I'll take care of the rest." he whispered to her. Sasuki nodded gripped her right arm warmer tightly.

"Let's do it then," she said. They began racing towards Kakashi for one last clash.

When they met the jōnin, Naruto went in slightly ahead of Sasuki. As they had planned, he allowed himself to be caught in the stomach with a strong kick, sending him flying backwards. He twisted in midair, flipping backwards and landing softly in a crouch. Naruto clasped his hands into the ram seal, and began to focus his magnet chakra on the bells

Sasuki followed soon after him, and began to attack fiercely. She struck out with a leaping spinning heel kick, which Kakashi caught easily. Undeterred, she twisted gracefully, and attempted to land a blow on his cheek. Kakashi caught that too. Still she didn't give up. Sasuki went with Kakashi's latest counter by bringing her second foot around for what would have been a devastating blow. Luckily for Kakashi, he managed to transfer his grip of her right arm underneath his own, and grip her legs with his hands. Sasuki smirked triumphantly. From beneath her arm warmer, a kunai slipped into her palm.

"What?" exclaimed Kakashi. She lashed out before Kakashi could do anything more than widen his eyes. A quick slash severed the bells, and sent them tumbling towards the earth. In desperation, Kakashi tossed her away, but it was too late.

As soon as the bells had been severed, Naruto stood and used his control to pull them towards him . The twin silver blurs zipped through the air and into his waiting grip. Sasuki spun elegantly in mid air. She landed softly at Naruto's side. Sakura was quick to join them. _She _emerged from the bushes, and dashed to Naruto's other side.

Kakashi just stared at them blankly. "What . . . just happened? How did you get the bells so fast?" he asked numbly.

Naruto savored the shock in Kakashi's eye. He smirked, and decided to enlighten his sensei.

"Remember earlier, when you said my sword wouldn't help me win?" Kakashi nodded in puzzlement. It took him a moment for his brain to connect the dots. His eye widened.

"You possess the Magnet Style kekkei genkai!" Kakashi said with comprehension. Naruto nodded.

"That's right Kakashi. You underestimated my blade, and failed to comprehend it's true nature. Just as I said it would be yesterday, underestimating me was your downfall." He told the older man. Kakashi nodded in understanding. He chuckled, and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"I suppose you're right. Congratulations Naruto, you pass." Kakashi told him, the corners eye crinkling merrily. Naruto wasn't fooled by Kakashi's cheerful attitude. There was something about his tone that set him on edge. Sasuki, too, seemed suspicious. Sakura was the only one that smiled back at Kakashi.

"As for you two," A slight edge entered Kakashi's voice. His eye narrowed at Naruto's female teammates. "I'm afraid you two will be going back to the academy. You failed to get a bell, so you don't pass."

Sasuki and Sakura gaped in shock. They began to protest vehemently, cursing Kakashi. None of it phased him, he just stared at them apathetically. "Save it. You knew the rules. It's your own fault you let Naruto capture the bells in this little plan of yours." he said harshly.

Naruto watched his teammates crumble. Sakura looked as if she had been physically struck. Tears welled in her eyes, and her head drooped sadly. Sasuki's expression was the hardest for Naruto. She looked at Kakashi with rage for a second, and then looked at him with an expression that was equal parts hate and betrayal. He was stunned. He had never seen her like this. He idly wondered, if this was the look she gave Itachi the night he murdered their clan. Naruto shook his head. He didn't have time for such things. He knew what game Kakashi was playing, and he was determined to beat him at it.

He looked at Kakashi fiercely. "I never said I would keep the bells for myself. The test isn't over yet, the bell hasn't rung," he said, drawing his teammates shocked gazes. Kakashi looked at him curiously. "Sasuki and Sakura were an integral part of the plan, especially Sasuki. I couldn't have completed it without them," Naruto explained. "Therefore," He looked at his two teammates. "I'm giving the bells to them." His teammates numbly caught the bells he threw at them.

Sasuki looked at him in shock. "A-are you serious? You're just _giving_ me the bell?" she asked. Naruto nodded, a small smile on his lips.

"Of course, I told you, didn't I? Even if it means I fail, I'll make sure you'll pass. You took a risk in going along with my plan, so it's only fair." he said. Sasuki nodded unsurely, and gave him a grateful look.

Naruto turned back to see his sensei studying him. "Well Kakashi, what will it be? I might've gotten the bells, but Sakura and Sasuki now possess them. You either pass them as well, or I'll refuse to be trained be trained by you. It's your choice."

Kakashi's eye narrowed dangerously. "Are you sure about that? It's all of you, or none of you? Are you _really_ sure?" he asked menacingly. Naruto met his glare with one of his own. He nodded resolutely. Kakashi turned to Sasuki and Sakura. "And what of you two? You have the bells, so technically I _have_ to pass you," he said. He glanced at Naruto. "He, on the other hand, doesn't. I could just dump him back at the academy and train you two. What do you say?"

Naruto actually felt nervous at this point. This was the one part he couldn't control. Sasuki and Sakura had to make the right decision on their own. They had put their faith in him, and now it was his turn to put _his_ faith in _them_.

To his relief, neither took the bait. Sakura bit her lip uncertainly, but ultimately shook her head no. Sasuki was the one that surprised him. She actually gave Kakashi a fierce glare, and looked insulted. "Not a chance!" she growled. She looked at the ground and clenched her fists, then turned her piercing onyx eyes back to Kakashi. "I may not like him, or even think he's worth much, but the dead-last has a point. We made a deal, and he held up his end of it. I won't back down on mine. If you want to fail him, you have to fail me too!" She said fiercely.

"Yeah!" said Sakura, nodding much more surely.

Kakashi looked at all of them darkly. "As you wish . . ." The one-eyed jōnin performed a few hand seals. The sky darkened with thunder clouds, and lightning flashed across the sky. A fierce wind kicked up, and Kakashi loomed over them, tall, and menacing. "If it's all of you, or none of you, then I have no choice but to say . . ." Kakashi paused for dramatic effect, and leaned forward menacingly. "You pass." He said, rather anticlimactically.

Naruto rolled his eyes. He thought that was a little overdramatic. His teammates blinked owlishly.

"Huh?" asked Sakura eloquently. Kakashi smiled at them.

"I said, you pass. You see, out of all the teams I've tested, you're group is the only one that has decided to go completely against my rules, and work together to get the bells. You even managed to get them, something I never suspected." Kakashi told her cheerfully. Sakura nodded slowly. Kakashi turned to Naruto and narrowed his eye playfully. "But I suspect one of you already knew this, and told the others about. You're the reason I didn't hear any hungry stomachs when I mentioned lunch, aren't you?"

Naruto closed his eyes with an aloof expression. "Of course. It wasn't hard. I've heard about your training methods before, from the Hokage. I knew you favored the hardest second genin test, so it was easy to come up with a counter strategy."

Kakashi nodded understandingly. "Very well, then there's one more thing I want to do before we part ways. Follow me, I'm going to show you why I put such an emphasis on teamwork," he requested. Naruto nodded alongside his teammates, and they followed their sensei as he led them through the foliage and to a field adjacent to the third training ground where they took their test.

There was a large circle of brick and mortar, their red and brown coloring standing out amongst the emerald green grass. But that wasn't the most eye-grabbing thing. No, the thing that caught Naruto's eye was the towering black stone in the shaped similar to a kunai.

He knew what it was, and what it represented. His throat tightened slightly. The names of his parents lay on that stone. Kakashi led them to it, and stopped on the side with the names carved into it.

"Do you three know what this is?" Kakashi asked them. Naruto could tell his teammates weren't sure, but he nodded.

"It's a memorial for ninja that have fallen in the line of duty," he answered quietly. Kakashi nodded solemnly. Sasuki and Sakura looked at the stone with a new found sadness in their eyes.

"Yes, it is. The names of my best friends are on this stone. Their names lie right next to my sensei's." he told them. Sakura looked at him wide-eyed. Sasuki and Naruto merely looked at the ground with dull eyes. Naruto knew that he and Sasuki were the ones that understood Kakashi's pain best.

Kakashi looked at all of them with utter seriousness. "In this ninja world, those you break the rules are scum, this is true. But those who would abandon their friends and teammates, well they're even worse than scum in my books. I want you all to remember this place, and never forget to look after you friends and teammates. I didn't realize how much my teammates meant to me until it was too late. Don't make the same mistake." he told them sagely.

They all nodded solemnly. Kakashi smiled cheerfully. "Good, now that all the serious stuff is out of the way, I was wondering if you'd answer some questions, Naruto?"

Naruto shrugged. "I suppose you want to know about my jutsu?" he guessed. Kakashi nodded sheepishly.

"Yes, I did. Could you explain to me how you used those jutsu of yours? I've never heard of a genin that had such excellent control over multiple elements before. I don't even know what that Rikujōkōrō you used was."

He nodded. He didn't have a problem that. There wasn't much harm in telling Kakashi some of his secrets now. After all, he would need his guidance to advance farther. "Sure. I learned my affinities at a young age. I possess wind and earth automatically, from my kekkei genkai. My fire and lightning are my elements from the . . . other side of my heritage. I'd rather not say what that is yet," Naruto explained. His team nodded understandingly. "As to how I control them, I trained them very extensively. But the real secret is the shape manipulation. It's how I perform barrier ninjutsu so easily, like my Rikujōkōrō." His sensei gaped in surprise.

"Barrier ninjutsu, without hand seals? How?" he gasped. Naruto smirked.

"I have a full grasp of shape transformation," he said simply. Kakashi nodded dumbly. The silver-haired man shook himself from his stupor, and chuckled in amusement.

"I have a feeling you're going to be an interesting group to teach. Congratulations on passing, tomorrow we take our first mission as Team 7. Until then, see you later." Kakashi waved goodbye, and disappeared in plume of smoke.

In the relative silence following Kakashi's departure, Naruto felt his teammates eyes on him. He turned to see them indeed staring at him intently. "Would you like me to answer questions as well?" he asked. Both nodded immediately. Naruto sighed. "Very well, come on. We might as well go and get something to eat. I'll answer some of the questions on the way," Naruto said, turning to begin walking to his favorite sushi restaurant.

His teammates followed, and began to ask him questions, which he would answer as best as possible. Eventually, they began to discuss the test. To his surprise, Sasuki complimented him on his skills.

"I have to admit, I didn't expect you to be so good. For a loser, you aren't too bad. That plan was pretty good. I don't think Kakashi had a chance."

Naruto smirked. "Likewise. Your skills were great. I couldn't have gotten the bells without that last attack from you," he said. Sasuki smirked sideways at him. After a few moments, Naruto noticed that Sakura was hanging back slightly, a downcast expression on her face. "Is something wrong, Sakura?" he asked, surprising the girl. Sakura jumped slightly, and looked down.

"Well, it's just that you two are so strong. You guys were amazing against Kakashi. Compared to you, I barely did anything," she said glumly. Naruto frowned. He didn't think there was any question that Sakura was the weakest of the three of them. He paused in his step, and placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder to keep her in place.

She looked up at him questioningly.

He paused to consider how to say what he wanted to. "If you really feel that way, then we can help you improve." Naruto saw Sasuki looking at him incredulously, but he gave her a pointed look until she backed down. "The training would be hard, but we could get you stronger. I can't guarantee you'll be as strong as us, but you'll definitely be a cut above everyone else," he told her. "So, do you want to improve?"

Sakura, to her credit, didn't hesitate for long. She gave him a determined nod, a fire entering her jade-green eyes. "Yes," she answered firmly.

"Good, we'll talk to Kakashi about it tomorrow." Sakura smiled gratefully at him.

"Thanks, Naruto." she said sincerely.

Naruto waved her thanks off. "It's not a very big deal. After all, we're teammates."

And they were. That day, a bond had begun to be formed. One that would unite the team for years to come.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter End<strong>

**AN/ Whew, done. Man, it was hard getting this done within three weeks. I had two essays, and two exams in the past couple weeks. That's not even mentioning the readings.**

**Whelp, anyways, so there you have it. Team 7 is formed, and next we'll be off to Wave, and the third arc. I think I'll begin work on the next chapter pretty soon. Now that I'm picking up momentum, I'm really getting into this fic, especially after I laid down the plot for the next few arcs.**

**Anyways, I hope everyone liked this chapter, tell me what you thought of the interactions. I wanted Naruto to come off as cool and calm, but not a jackass, at least not to people he likes. **

**As far as polls go, the poll for whether this will be a double pairing will still be going on in reviews. I'd like to reiterate. That is NOT a poll to help decide ****_who_**** the second girl would be, but as to whether I'll be having a second girl at all. I've already decided who it would be if I did make it a double pairing.**

**Now, for news, there's not much. After a couple more chapters of this, maybe the entire Wave arc, I'll be returning to do some work on Deep Forest Chronicles. Then I might seriously lay out my idea for a dead bone pulse Naruto fic. If you want to see what Ideas I'm toying with, go to my profile. I'd be happy to take PM's about them.**

**As always, please review, favorite, and follow. Tell me what worked, what didn't, what I could improve on to hone my skills. I'd especially like opinions on the fight scenes, and the character interactions. Seriously, reviews really help my process and sometimes drastically effect my thinking as far as plot.**

**Well, that's all for now. I'll see you all next time.**

**Until then,**

**RinneTaicho, Signing Off!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Naruto: Uchiha Chronicles**

**AN/ Hey yo, sup? Man, sorry it's been such a long wait.. Needless to say, I had some issues that delayed me for quite a while, but I'm ready to continue this story, and I don't have much else to do, so hopefully my chapter production rate will increase. **

**Anyways, response seems pretty good towards last chapter. I'm glad, although I would've liked a few more reviews. I don't necessarily need glowing reviews of how awesome the story is, I welcome critiques, as well as questions of clarification. I'm always trying to up my game, so I like tips on making my writing smoother/stronger.**

**There was one review though that I'd like to address. A guest commented on something I said at the beginning of my Naruto: Deep Forest Chronicles, about finding no evidence of him being attacked brutally by mobs. They said that there were actually flashbacks of such in the extended and uncut version of the anime. In response, I'll clarify my statement; there is no CANNON proof of it. Things like that in the anime, especially in an uncut and extended version, that don't appear in the manga, are not actually part of cannon. Those are generally creative liberties taken by the directors of the anime, and can't be relied upon for proof. **

**But hey, now I know where people have been getting that notion that he was attacked by mobs from. A simple case of what all authors detest, a director taking 'creative' liberties with their work.**

**Not much else to say. As usual, read, review, and favorite and follow.**

**Now, on with the story!**

Normal speech: "what"

Extremely loud group/single person shouting: "WHAT!"

Thoughts/Speech taken out of context:_ 'what'_

Letter/Book/Written text: '_What'_

Demon/Summon speech: **"what"**

Demon/Summon thoughts: **_'what_**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or Bleach, that honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Tite Kubo respectively.

**Arc III: Land of Waves Escort Mission:**

**Chapter 9: Journey to the Land of Waves, the First Real Mission!**

* * *

><p><strong>— ₪ <strong>**NUC ₪ —**

Naruto, alongside his sensei and Sasuki, stood off to the side as they watched Sakura training her medical skills. She performed a swift set of hand seals, and her hands were enveloped in a whirring green miasma of chakra. Sakura held her hands over a large, dead-looking trout on the table before her. Her brow was knit together in severe concentration. "Come on, just one more time. Breath you stupid fish!" panted Sakura. Naruto's practiced eye caught the slight twitch of the trout's tail. An instant later the fishes mouth and gills began to gape as it flopped around madly. Sakura smiled in success.

Kakashi clapped lightly at the accomplishment. "Very good, Sakura. You've come a long way in two months. That only took fifteen seconds," he said. Naruto nodded in agreement.

"Indeed."

Naruto was impressed with her determination, not only in perfecting the jutsu, but in building all her skills. Sakura's reserves had nearly tripled in the short time they had been a team, and Kakashi had even begun to teach her about elemental jutsu.

Sakura looked at Sasuki shyly. "What about you, Sasuki? Do you think I've gotten better?" She asked.

"Hn, I guess you're not quite as useless as before. But you're still the weakest link," Sasuki answered dismissively. Sakura's expression fell for a fleeting second, but she was smiling again a second later.

"Oh well, guess I just have to train harder!" She declared. Kakashi smiled at her.

"That's the spirit." Kakashi said encouragingly. He then looked at them with his one eye curled in amusement and cleared his throat. When he was sure they were paying attention, he spoke.

"Now, in light of Sakura's most recent accomplishment, I've got a bit of a surprise for you all," he said. They looked at him intently. "I think it's time we took a C-rank mission," Kakashi told them. Naruto and his teammates reacted with joy. Sakura gave a big "Yay!", and Sasuki smirked eagerly. Naruto himself felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Finally, no more chores! They had been performing D-rank missions—or as he liked to call them, daily time wasters—at least once a day since they had become a team. The D-ranks were dull, dreary work, and each task had begun to erode away Naruto's patience.

**_I don't know what you're so excited about. It's not like you're going to find any challenge in a C-rank. I doubt you'll even find someone worth killing on one of those._** Kurama complained. Naruto rolled his eyes.

_Not everybody is as bloodthirsty as you. Besides, it's better than sitting around the village and doing manual labor. _Naruto shot back. Kurama grunted in agreement.

"Anyways, why don't you all go home and wash up. I'll meet you in front of the mission assignment building at two o'clock," Kakashi commanded. He gave a cheery wave goodbye, and then disappeared in a large cloud of smoke.

"Well, see you in a bit," said Sakura cheerfully. She turned and dashed away. That left just Naruto and Sasuki.

"I suppose we should leave too," he said. He didn't expect an answer, nor did he get one.

Sasuki ignored him completely and turned to begin walking towards her home at a sedate pace. As she left, Naruto heard her mutter, "Finally, a real mission. I was getting tired of all the chores."

He watched her disappear into the foliage, and then made his own exit by disappearing in a flicker of speed.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

After taking a quick shower and eating lunch at Ichiraku's Ramen, Naruto was the first to arrive outside the building that held the mission assignment desk. His teammates arrived shortly after, and after their sensei joined them, Naruto led the team into the room beyond the entrance; a large wood-lined space with a quaint feel to it. The word for _shinobi_ was painted in a giant black kanji on the ceiling, with two stick-like lights on either side, to light the room when the light from the floor-to-ceiling windows wasn't sufficient. There was a small sliding door off to the side, which the team passed on their way into the room.

Sitting at a long table situated in front of one of those rows of windows, was the Hokage and several other ninjas, one of which was Iruka. Naruto gave Iruka a slight nod, which he returned. The table in front of them was piled with mission scrolls. Naruto bowed politely to his grandfather figure alongside his teammates.

The Hokage smiled at them warmly. "Ah, Team 7. Are you here for your daily mission?" He asked pleasantly.

Kakashi shook his head in the negative. "Not exactly, Lord Hokage. Remember our conversation about my team taking on more difficult missions?" he questioned. The Hokage's mouth formed into a silent 'ah'.

"Are you sure they're ready for a C-ranked mission this early Kakashi?"He asked Kakashi as he sized them up with calculating gaze. The silver-haired jōnin nodded without hesitation, and muttering broke out amongst the other ninja assigning missions. Naruto stood calmly and collected while he was being scrutinized by his gramps—well, more like his teammates were being scrutinized. Apparently, the old man was impressed with what he saw. "Hmm, very well." He said. The other shinobi at the table looked at him as if he had grown a second head. Iruka in particular seemed uncertain, he was looking at Sakura with worry.

"Uh-um, are you sure that's a good idea, Lord Third?" He asked hesitantly. The Hokage arched one of his grizzled white eyebrows at the man. "I mean, don't you think they should have a bit more time to improve their skills?" Iruka clarified.

Naruto looked at Iruka sharply, and willed the man to cease his worrying. He finally had a chance to move beyond the tedious chores that were D-ranks, and he didn't want it to be messed up. _I swear, even if I am fond of him, if Iruka costs me this chance, I'm going to use him as a practice dummy for my next jutsu!_ Naruto thought frustratedly to himself. Kurama snickered in amusement.

Luckily—both for him and Iruka—the Hokage didn't seem swayed by the objection. He waved off Iruka's objection, and said, "Im confident that these three can handle themselves on a more advanced mission." Iruka still didn't seem completely convinced, nor did all the other mission assigners.

The Hokage ignored them, and scanned the pile of C-rank mission scrolls before him. Naruto watched with hungry eyes. Gramps hummed in thought, and then plucked a scroll from the pile. "This should do for a first time," he said. He then handed the scroll to one of his helpers, who recorded the mission and who it was assigned to, and handed Kakashi a copy. The silver-haired man read it while the Hokage briefly explained the mission.

"The mission is a routine protection mission. Your client is highly respected bridge builder from the Land of Waves. You'll be escorting him home, and then guarding him as he finishes his latest bridge. There shouldn't be too much trouble." He told them

"Hmm, yes, it seems simple enough," Kakashi agreed. "We'll accept the mission," He said as he rolled up the scroll.

Gramps nodded with a smile. "Good, good. Then I'll bring him in now," he said. He raised his voice and called out.

"Bring in Mr. Tazuna!" Naruto's head turned to the door they had passed on their way in. It led to a small room where clients would wait for their mission to be chosen. There was a shuffling on the opposite side, and a moment later it slid open with a—_clack_—and an elderly man stepped into the doorway.

His appearance was not what Naruto had been expecting. The man had grey hair, with a big beard and dark eyes behind his spectacles. A rope was tied around his forehead, and his clothes were worn from hard work. Clutched in his hand was a small drinking gourd, and from the strong smell of alcohol wafting from it, it was full of sake. Tazuna had obviously had more than a bit of the drink, because he had to lean on the door way for support.

"Huh, what's this?" he asked with a slur. His voice was gruff and surly. "I thought I ordered ninja, not a group of snot-nosed brats and a scarecrow babysitting them." Tazuna complained. Naruto looked at the man coldly. Beside him, he could feel Sasuki bristle angrily, not that he could blame her. In the just one sentence Tazuna had managed to both belittle and insult her, two things Sasuki hated. It would be impressive if it wasn't so foolish.

Kakashi, who didn't seem affected Tazuna's words, tried to smooth things over. "I can assure you Mr. Tazuna, my students are far more than capable of protecting you. Even if they're not, I'll be there as well, so there's no need to worry." he said placatingly with one of his eye-smiles.

Tazuna grunted, unimpressed. He took another swig of sake and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "They had better be," he grumble. The bridge builder glared at them. "Alright, listen up you brats. I paid good money for this mission, so I don't care if two of you're nothing but a couple of wimpy girls and some pretty boy with a tin sword; I expect you to protect me with your lives."

Tazuna's rude demand left Naruto severely irritated, and his teammates pissed off. Sasuki made to lunge at the man and Naruto had to hold her back with a calming hand on her shoulder. She shot him a withering glare, but he ignored it. "Calm down. We can't attack a client," he reasoned. She growled in annoyance. Naruto patted her shoulder reassuringly, and whispered so only she could hear, "I know how you feel, but it isn't worth the trouble. Besides, you shouldn't care what an old drunk thinks." Sasuki snorted in amusement. She gave him a grudging nod of agreement. He glanced at Kakashi, who gave him a grateful tilt of the head

Kakashi cleared his throat awkwardly. "Anyways. Mr. Tazuna, we'll meet you at the main gate at eight o'clock tomorrow. That is, if you still want our protection," said Kakashi.

The bridge builder heaved a great sigh, but ultimately nodded. "Aye, I'll take your protection." With that, he turned and left the way he came. The team was left alone save for the Hokage and his assistants. Kakashi turned to them with a surprisingly serious look in his eye. It was unusual for him to take anything seriously.

"Alright, as I just told Tazuna, we'll be leaving at eight o'clock. I'll expect you to be packed and ready. Make sure you have supplies for at least a month. Is that understood" Naruto and his teammates nodded. Kakashi smiled at them. "Good, then I'll see you all bright and early tomorrow," he said.

After that the team began to make their way out of the mission hall. At the entrance, they split off and went their separate ways. Kakashi and Sakura went to the right, towards their downtown apartment and family home respectively. Sasuki continued straight ahead in the direction of her apartment. Naruto himself turned to the left and made his way back to the Grotto. There was a pit of excitement in his stomach. Tomorrow he would finally get a new mission.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

The next morning the team met up at the villages main gates. To Naruto's surprise, even Kakashi was on time. He was waiting for them off to the side of the gates, chatting with the client. When they approached he looked up and smiled. "Good, you're all here," he said brightly. Kakashi stopped to examine them before they departed. Once he had determined that all three of them had the supplies they needed—Sakura and Sasuki in their packs, and Naruto in his storage seals—the group set out on their journey. They arranged themselves around the bridge builder in a diamond formation, with Sasuki at the head, Kakashi in the back, and Sakura and himself on either side.

Naruto found the trek quite pleasant. The sun shone brightly overhead, and a pleasant breeze kept them cool. They were surrounded on both sides of the path by the serene forests that made up the Land of Fire. Due to Tazuna, they were forced to travel at a slower speed than they usually would. It would take them just over a day to reach the southern coast of the Land of Fire, where they would catch a boat to Tazuna's home land. It was a relatively uneventful trip up until Naruto noticed something strange. They were crossing a sturdy wooden bridge one of the many murmuring creeks that criss-crossed the countryside, when he noticed a puddle of water in the road ahead. A puddle, when it hadn't rained for weeks? Not likely. Naruto immediately stretched out his senses, and to his alarm, he found two chūnin level chakra signatures in the puddle. A trap! He quickly turned to Kakashi and opened his mouth to warn him.

To his surprise, he found that Kakashi had noticed the puddle as well and was watching it out of the corner of his eye. He turned his gaze from it for just long enough to give Naruto a subtle shake of the head. Naruto understood the silent order. Don't do anything. His every instinct was screaming at him to prepare for an attack, but he forced it down and waited for the inevitable.

It didn't take very long. As soon as Kakashi had passed the puddle by they attacked. Two black-haired men rose from the puddle like silent wraiths and rushed Kakashi. They were dressed in brownish-grey camouflage, with re-breathers covering their mouths, and strange horned forehead protectors, with two massive clawed gauntlets on their left and right hands respectively. The two A chain made of shuriken snaked from their gauntlets, and wrapped Kakashi within its barbed grasp. With one sharp tug, Kakashi appeared to be torn to pieces. Blood and body segments littered the earth.

"One little piggy down, four to go," one of them cackled maliciously. The two continued their fierce charge towards the group.

Naruto felt like cursing. He could recognize their attackers easily from the bingo book; the Demon Brothers. He reacted in a split second, and ignored carnage he had just witnessed. While his teammates were still shaken by Kakashi's apparent death, Naruto quickly began to bark orders. "Sakura, quick, protect Tazuna. Take him underground if you have to. Sasuki, with me!" His words snapped his teammates out of their shock, and they immediately scrambled to follow his orders.

With Sasuki by his side, Naruto rushed to meet the Demon Brothers charge. Sasuki launched a kunai and a shuriken at the chain. They flew with expert accuracy, and pinned their chain to a tree. Naruto and Sasuki rushed in to take advantage while the brothers were tugging at the chain in a vain attempt to free it. Naruto attacked the brother with the single horn on his forehead protector, Gōzu, if he remembered correctly. He launched a devastating kick at the man's jaw. It landed with crushing force, and forced him to release the chain from his gauntlet, lest his arm be ripped out of his socket. Gōzu managed to use the momentum from Naruto's kick to roll himself into a crouch.

"Quick, get the bridge builder!" He ordered his brother, who was in a similar position. They made another mad dash for Tazuna, but this time Naruto was more prepared. Two crackling yellow energy ropes were created in his hands.

"**Hainawa!**" Naruto deftly threw the ropes at the brothers, who were too surprised to avoid them. The ropes wound around them, and brought them to a skidding halt face-first.

A tense silence settled over the road. With his adrenaline pumping, Naruto cautiously approached the two brothers.

"Dammit, what the hell is this jutsu?" cursed the brother with the two horns, Meizu. He and his brother were squirming to get out of their bindings.

Naruto looked at them with an emotionless expression. "You can stop struggling. Hainawa blocks off your chakra, so there's no escape," He said coldly. Slowly the brothers struggling died down. They settled for glaring at him impotently. Sakura and Sasuki moved to join him. The three stared down at the brothers.

"Hmm, nice job incapacitating them," complimented as he popped up behind them. Naruto simply rose an eyebrow at his theatrics. Sakura, on the other hand, gaped in surprise.

"I see you're still alive," Sasuki said coldly.

"Jeez, you almost sound disappointed." Kakashi said jokingly. Sakura growled and slapped him on the arm.

"Don't scare us like that sensei! If you were still alive, why didn't you help?" She asked angrily. Kakashi shrugged nonchalantly.

"I knew you guys could handle it," he turned to Tazuna with a serious look in his eye. "Besides, I had to figure out who their target was," he said seriously. Naruto's eyes narrowed.

Tazuna shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "What are you talking about?" he asked nervously. Kakashi started to glare harshly.

"I had to know if they were after us—not unlikely, considering that we have some high profile members on our team—or you," he explained. Naruto put the pieces together, even as Kakashi voiced what he was thinking. "You lied when you applied for this mission, Mr. Tazuna. You asked for simple protection from robbers and highwaymen. Now explain why there are ninja after you, or I'll end the mission right here." Kakashi said threateningly.

Tazuna's shoulders slumped and he heaved a great sigh. "I suppose I've got no choice," he said resignedly. He told them of his countries struggle, how they were under the thumb of a business magnate named Gato. Naruto's lip curled in distasted when his name was mentioned. He knew from his grandfathers information that Gato was the worst kind of scum. Tazuna also explained what his bridge would mean for the country, and how Gato wanted to kill him so he would finally have an ironclad grip on the Land of Waves. By the time he was done, the entire team was frowning deeply, and Tazuna was looking at them pleadingly.

"I'm sorry Mr. Tazuna, but I can't take my team on this mission. With this information, it has clearly escalated to an A-rank mission. That's something they're not ready for yet," Kakashi said regretfully. Tazuna's pleading expression fell.

"I understand," he said softly. Naruto frowned. He didn't feel right just abandoning the mission. He knew what Gato was capable of, and he knew that the problems were only just beginning if Gato lived up to his reputation.

"Let's not be so hasty, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said calmly. Kakashi gave him a look that clearly said 'continue'. Naruto pressed on, "We both know that with you and me on the mission, the chances of success are virtually guaranteed. It's not right to just leave the country defenseless." he told him. Kakashi nodded reluctantly.

"What are you suggesting, that we disregard protocol and continue?" Naruto shook his head.

"No, I'm saying that we ask permission. I'm sure Gramps wouldn't be adverse to some sort of deal. We have to send word to have a team of Anbu come and pick up the Demon Brothers anyway, so why not also ask for permission to continue the mission as well," Naruto reasoned. Sakura and Sasuki voiced their agreement, and Kakashi placed his chin in his hand in and thought the idea over. Finally, he relented with a large sigh.

"Fine, It's late afternoon anyways. It'll start to get dark soon, so we might as well make camp and wait for the Anbu to arrive," he agreed. Kakashi quickly bit his thumb, and summoned one of his ninja dogs, a pug by the name of Pakkun. He was sent off with a scroll for the Hokage, requesting for the retrieval of the brothers, and permission to continue the mission. After he had sent off his summon, Kakashi began to tie up the Demon Brothers with actual ninja wires. When he was done, he slung them over his shoulders.

"Alright, let's go make camp," he ordered.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

When they made camp, the team chose a spot next to a river with good visibility. To their back was the river itself, full of crystal clear water with a rock-lined bottom. On the other side of the river, was a plain that continued until it met a set of mountains. To the North and South were the banks of the river, a wide open area that stretched into the distance. Finally was the only conceivable way for someone to sneak up on them, the forest to the front, and Naruto had taken care of that by placing clones transformed to look like ordinary rocks at random spots in a fifty yard radius around camp. After the spot was chosen, and the defenses put in place, they set up the camp proper. The bed rolls were rolled out and put into place around a smokeless fire Sakura and Sasuki built out of carefully selected materials and a small fire jutsu.

Naruto was sitting in front of the fire with his eyes closed. He was waiting for any information to arrive from his clones on lookout, and keeping an eye on the Demon Brothers, who were unconscious and tied to a tree on the edge of the camp. Naruto could suddenly feel someone looking at him.

"Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Tazuna?" he asked without turning around. Tazuna gasped in surprise.

"How did you know it was me?" questioned Tazuna in astonishment. Naruto scoffed at Tazuna's obliviousness.

"Sakura and Sasuki are out hunting for our dinner, and Kakashi is in a tree nearby reading his smut. That leaves only you," Naruto explained with a tiny trace of condescension. Luckily, Tazuna didn't pick up on it.

"Oh," the bridge builder said blankly. Naruto heard a rustle of cloth as Tazuna sat down across from him. There was silence. Naruto could tell the man wanted to ask him something, and he had a pretty good idea what. Finally, Tazuna broke his silence. "Tell me, why did you convince the others to continue the mission? I could tell that they were ready to end it. Your sensei wanted to follow protocol, and that pink-haired teammate of yours was uncertain until you spoke And don't even get me started on that moody girl. I can tell she didn't give two shits about our country. So tell me, what makes you different?" Tazuna asked seriously.

Naruto frowned at the man's description of Sasuki, but couldn't really refute it. He wanted to defend her, explain what she had been through to become like that. But he knew it wasn't his place. Instead, he settled for answering the man's question.

"It's like I told Kakashi. It wouldn't be right to just let Gato run roughshod over your country. Don't get me wrong, I don't particularly care about you personally, at least, not beyond the mission. You should not have lied. The Hokage is a very reasonable man. He would have struck an agreement with you for some alternative form of compensation," Naruto said sternly. Tazuna's head dropped in shame. The jet-haired boy saw his look of remorse and relented slightly. "Be that as it may, like I said, I know what kind of man Gato is." Naruto's eyes grew cold and he glared into the fire. "He is a man possessed by greed. His hunger for money is insatiable, and he will do anything to feed that hunger. Anyone who gets in his way is killed in the most brutal and humiliating manner he can think of. Gatō is the worst kind of scum, and the world would be better off without his filth. Someone needs to deal with him, _permanently_," Naruto said darkly.

Tazuna shivered at his tone. He took an unsteady swig of alcohol to calm his nerves. "Ya know, for a kid so young, you sure seem comfortable with the idea of killing. It's pretty unnerving if ya ask me."

Naruto wore an emotionless. mask. His eyes were tracking the writhing tongues of flame in the fire. "Unlike my teammates, I've already killed. It was long ago in self defense. I've had a lot of time to reconcile that part of shinobi life," he said softly.

After that they didn't anymore. Soon enough, Sakura and Sasuki had returned with several dead rabbits. Naruto took the duty of cooking them. He deftly skinned and cleaned the rabbits, and then put them on spits to roast over the fire. Not long after he had begun to cook the meat, Naruto suddenly got a rush of memories from one of his outermost clones. His head suddenly snapped in the direction of the forest, and he stared into the trees intently. His teammates noticed his reaction, and tensed in preparation to defend themselves.

"What is it Naruto, did one of your clones see something?" Kakashi asked warily. Naruto nodded calmly.

"Yes, one of the clones furthest out spotted the Anbu team we sent for. There's four of them. They're being led by a cat-masked female Anbu with purple hair. They should be here in less than a minute," he replied. Everyone relaxed, and prepared to meet their visitors.

"Hmm, sounds like Yūgao and her team. Good," said Kakashi, relieved. True to Naruto's prediction, the four Anbu arrived in less than a minute. They first appeared as shadows flitting in-between the trees. When they alighted in the clearing, they landed swiftly and silently.

The leader, Yūgao, approached Kakashi and bowed her head respectfully. chuckled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "No need to bow to me Yugaō. I'm no longer your captain. It's good to see you," he said.

Yugaō straightened up and nodded. "It's good to see you too, captain." There was a hint of teasing in her voice. Kakashi gave her a disgruntled look, but otherwise ignored the jab. While he was watching the byplay between Kakashi and his apparent former subordinate, Naruto noticed that in the background Yugaō's team was securing the Demon Brothers. Yugaō glanced back at the brothers as her subordinate's called out to her.

"Prisoners secured, ma'am," a rabbit masked Anbu said. Yugaō nodded in acknowledgment.

"Very well, prepare to transport them, we'll be leaving momentarily," she commanded. The rabbit masked man nodded. Yugaō turned back to Kakashi, pulled out a scroll from her pouch. "The Lord Hokage received your request, and has agreed to allow you to continue the mission, with the condition that Mr. Tazuna reimburses Konoha for the price of two A-rank missions, in compensation for his deception. You're allowed to do anything you deem necessary to protect Tazuna and the Land of Waves, including and up to removing Gatō and his foothold in Wave. There are a few other things, but you'll find them all in the scroll," Yugaō explained.

Kakashi took the scroll and nodded sedately. "I assume by 'remove', you mean assassinate Gatō and his army of thugs?" he asked dryly. Yugaō nodded. "Hmm, I don't have an issue with it, what about you, Mr. Tazuna?"

Tazuna nodded rapidly. He looked ecstatic, like he couldn't believe what was happening. "Yes, of course I'll agree. Any price is worth finally being out from under Gatō's thumb," he agreed.

"Very well, I'll inform Lord Hokage of your agreement. I wish you all luck on your mission," said Yugaō. She looked specifically at Naruto and his teammates. No doubt she was questioning why the Hokage was allowing them on such a dangerous mission. Naruto couldn't blame her. Yugaō motioned to her team to move out, and just like they arrived, they left; silent, like shadows flitting amongst the trees.

Naruto returned to the fire, and finished cooking the rabbits. The meal was what you'd expect of a camp dinner. The food wasn't anything elaborate, but it tasty and filling. After dinner they set up guard shifts. With Sakura settling in for her shift on guard duty, the rest of them went to bed.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

Naruto woke the team up as soon as he saw the sun began to rise. Once everyone was awake, they quickly packed up and erased all signs of their presence there, and then departed. The closer they got to the ocean, the cooler the air got. By the time they had arrived at the shore where they were to meet their boatman, goose bumps had risen on Naruto's arms from the cold. He peered intently into the mist that hung over the water. He could make out the hazy form of worn wooden skiff being rowed into shore. The man rowing was a rugged-looking middle aged man. He wore a hat similar to Tazuna. After the man beached the skiff on the shore, Tazuna went up and greeted him.

"Thank you for doing this, I know it's a risk," he said gratefully. The man nodded silently and motioned for them to get in the skiff. Everyone piled in quickly. The boatman used his oar to push the skiff off of the shore and into the gentle waters of the channel that separated the mainland from the Land of Waves. The tide was calm, and allowed the skiff to cleave through the water swiftly.

A hulking shape loomed in the mist ahead of them. It took Naruto a moment to realize what it was. Towering above them was a massive half-finished bridge made of concrete, bigger than any bridge he'd ever seen. A massive crane and skeletal platforms of scaffolding towered over it. They passed within an arm's reach of concrete pilings the thickness of a maple tree.

Their boatman guided the skiff through a stone-lined tunnel, and into a small harbor. When they exited the tunnel, the mist was clear for the first time that morning, and Naruto got his first look at the Land of Waves. There were several mangrove trees growing out of the sea water. The buildings looked worn down, with roofs made of rough wooden shingles, and their paint was faded. Their guide pulled up to a beat up dock next to a closed down shop, and let them off. Tazuna thanked the man once more, and then the boatman quickly hurried off. Once he was gone, Tazuna turned to them, and said gruffly; "Alright, my house is only about an hour's walk from here. I expect you to get me there safely."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. He took the lead, and led them into the forest outside of the apparently deserted town. Everything was fine for a little while. The sun was out and shining, but it was still cool. But Naruto noticed something strange. The animals had stopped making noise. That put him on guard. Animals only went quiet in the presence of a predator. He surreptitiously looked at his surroundings. In a flash he had a kunai in his hand.

"What is it, did you see something?" Kakashi asked quickly. They had come to a standstill as the ninjas eyes began to dart about. Naruto shook his head.

"No, there's something . . . off," he replied.

Kakashi nodded in understanding, and put his book away. His eye traveled lazily around the clearing. It finally locked on to a bush on the left side of the path. With precision, he whipped out a kunai, and sent it hurtling into the bushes. They waited for something to happen. For a second, Naruto wondered whether he had imagined everything. That doubt died when a terrified white rabbit came racing out of the bushes a few tense moments later. Sakura and Sasuki began to relax their guards, but Naruto and Kakashi met each other's eyes.

"Kakashi," Naruto said in concern. The Jōnin nodded.

"I know. Prepare yourselves we're about to—" Kakashi stopped abruptly and shouted, "GET DOWN!" They obeyed, and not a second too soon. Just as they hit the deck, a massive cleaver sword came cutting through the air. The huge blade continued on over their heads and cleaved halfway through the trunk of a tree, before becoming stuck. A large black-haired man, with white bandages tied tightly around his lower face, appeared like a ghost, and landed softly on the swords long hilt. The man looked over his shoulder and glared at them with cold, menacing brown eyes. The four squiggly lines on his sideways forehead protector marked his allegiance. The long cloth of headband fluttered in the breeze. His back, which was facing them, was bare save for a belt to strap his huge blade to. He wore pin-striped shinobi pants, with matching camouflage arm and leg warmers.

Naruto recognized the man immediately. He had been in the bingo books Gramps Sarutobi gave him for as long as he could remember. Kakashi strolled forward with his hands in his pockets. "Well, well. Zabuza Momochi. Missing ninja from Kiri," he said casually. Naruto tensed when he saw Kakashi reach for the headband pulled down over his left eye. "I suppose I'll need this if we'll be fighting you."

"Kakashi Hatake, of the Sharingan. Hand over the old man." Zabuza demanded. Sasuki tensed on the other side of Tazuna.. Naruto could only imagine what was going through her head.

"Quick, manji formation! I want you to protect the bridge builder," Kakashi ordered them. The three genin quickly moved in front of Tazuna in a protective formation. Naruto gripped the hilt of Senbonzakura tightly in preparation to draw it. Kakashi slowly pulled his forehead protector up onto his forehead, and opened his Sharingan eye.

Zabuza saw the eye and turned to face them fully. "The Sharingan. I'll get to see it in battle. Its and honor."

Sakura gave Naruto and Sasuki a confused look. "The Sharingan is the bloodline of the Uchiha Clan, right?" Sasuki nodded sharply. Sakura stared at the back of Kakashi's head. "Then how come Sensei has one? And what exactly does it do?" Sasuki didn't answer. She still seemed too shocked by the revelation of Kakashi's Sharingan to speak, so Naruto answered for her.

"Kakashi's eye is implanted. As for what it does, the Sharingan allows the user to comprehend and copy any technique that they see their opponent use. But that's just what's commonly known, there's much more to its power than that," he explained. Zabuza looked at him appraisingly.

"That's right boy. That eye can perceive any technique, and then copy it perfectly," said Zabuza. "As for you, Kakashi, back in Kiri, we had orders to kill you on sight. Our bingo book said you were the man who copied a thousand jutsu. Kakashi, the Copy Ninja." The two Jōnin began to stare each other down. Mist began to gather in the air once more. Slowly, killing intent began to leak from Zabuza. It washed over them in potent waves. Naruto easily shrugged it off. It was nothing compared to his grandfather, or Kurama for that matter. Sakura and Sasuki weren't so lucky. They began to sweat under the heavy pressure. "I think we've talked enough. You're obviously not going to give the old man up, so I'll kill you, and those brats. And then I'll take the bridge builders head" Zabuza crouched down and ripped his sword from the tree. he vanished in a burst of speed, and reappeared on top of the water. His sword was strapped to his back, and his hands were held in to half ram seals, one at chest level, and one held above his head.

"**Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu!**" Zabuza cried.

**— ₪ ****NUC ₪ —**

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><p><strong>Chapter End<strong>

**AN/ So, here's Chapter 9, finally. Sorry it took so long. Not much for me to say. Like I said earlier, the chapter production rate should increase now. I'll have the next chapter out as soon as possible.**

**Remember to review, favorite, and follow. **

**See you in the next chapter.**

**Until then,**

**RinneTaicho, Signing Off!**


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